Sandbox

• System Lifecycle Stage
• Applicability

• System Lifecycle Stage
• Applicability

• Solar products and systems
• Off-grid storage
• Fuel generators
• Components
• Financial services for solar products

Term	Description	Manufacturing	Operation	Maintenance	End-of-Life
Accesory	A device supplementing a main device or apparatus, by adding to its functionality as an add-on or exchangeable device.		x	x
Administration of maintenance	Ensures effective implementation, control, and documentation of maintenance services and results.			x
After sales service	After-sales services include all post-sale activities that help customers use and maintain the products. These services include installation of the product, providing technical support to customers, offering warranty coverage, ensuring spare parts availability, and repair service		x	x
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.		x	x
Amorphous silicon	Non-crystalline form of silicon formed using silicon vapour which is quickly cooled.	x
Analogue controls	Controls using variable voltage or current to pass information.		x	x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part		x	x
Availability	Availability is the ratio of time a system or component is functional to the total time it is required or expected to function. It can be expressed as a percentage or proportion.		x	x
Backup protection	Type of protection intended to operate only after the main protective device(s) has failed to operate.		x	x
Base load	The portion of load of a generator or building which is constant.		x	x
Battery-coupled water pumping systems	PV pumping system that consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels, charge control regulator, batteries, pump controller, pressure switch and tank and DC water pump		x	x
Booster Pump	A surface pump used to increase pressure in a water line or to pull water from a storage tank and pressurize a water system.		x	x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.		x	x
Centrifugal Pump	A pumping mechanism that spins water by means of an impeller. Water is forced out of the impeller by centrifugal force, thus giving energy (head) to the water.		x	x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Check Valve	A valve that allows water to flow one way but not the other.		x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x
Commissioning	The process of “handing-over” the system to the client, i.e., ensuring that all system components have been properly installed, are in good condition and that the system is operating as expected.		x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x	x
Condition-based maintenance	The practice of using real-time information from data loggers to schedule preventive measures such as cleaning or to head off corrective maintenance problems by anticipating failures or catching them early.			x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x	x
Corrective maintenance	Required to repair damage or replace failed components.			x
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)	It is a variation of cradle-to-grave, exchanging the waste stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially “closing the loop”.	x	x	x	x
Cradle to Gate	Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (ie, before it is transported to the consumer).	x	x	x	x
Cradle to Grave	Cradle-to-grave is the full life cycle assessment from resource extraction (‘cradle’) to the use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).	x	x	x	x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters		x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.		x	x
Design for disassembly	It involves designing products to maximise the ease with which they can be taken apart for repair or separated for recycling. This involves reducing the complexity and number of tools required, reducing the time taken and minimising any permanent damage to the product.	x		x	x
Design for the environment (DfE)	DfE optimizes a product’s performance over the complete lifecycle. It employs design approaches to reduce the overall human health and environmental impacts of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its lifecycle. DfE principles, first introduced by William McDonough Architects and Dr. Michael Braungart in 1992, have been expanded upon and adopted by design professionals, scholars and government agencies.	x		x	x
Diaphragm Pump	A type of pump in which water is drawn in and forced out of one or more chambers by a flexible diaphragm. Check valves let water into and out of each chamber.		x	x
Direct Re-use	Use, by a person other than its previous owner or user, of products for the same purpose for which they were conceived without any preparation for reuse, except minimal cleaning and adjustments that can be performed by the owner themselves (therefore, also called second-hand products).				x
Direct-coupled pumping systems	PV pumping system sized to store extra water on sunny days so it is available on cloudy days and at night.		x	x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x		x	x
Disassembly	A process whereby an item is taken apart in such a way that it could subsequently be reassembled and made operational.			x	x
Disassembly	Disassembly is a process in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by non-destructive operations.			x	x
Disjointment	A process whereby materials are separated by mechanical means such that the item cannot subsequently be reassembled to make it operational, for example, by cutting, grinding, scratching and abrasive processes.				x
Disposal	Disposal is the process of directing end of life material to discharge, such as incineration or landfill.				x
Downcycle	Downcycle is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality.	x			x
Drawdown	The lowering of the level of water in a well due to pumping		x	x
Drop Pipe	The pipe that carries water from a pump in a well up to the surface.		x	x
E-waste	E-waste is short for ‘electronic waste’ which means electronic goods and their parts that become waste products from formerly functioning electronics such as televisions, mobile phones and solar lights.				x
End-of-Life	End of life (EOL) is the final stage in a product’s lifecycle, once the product is at the end of its useful life.				x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. An EPR policy is characterised by (1) shifting responsibility (physically and/or economically; fully or partially) upstream towards the producers and away from governments and (2) the provision of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products.	x			x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	It represents a globally accepted concept for products and waste streams posing significant risks to human health and the environment. This concept says that economic operators placing such products onto the market carry responsibility for the sound end-oflife management of an equivalent amount of waste of such products.	x			x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Float Switch	Turns a pump on and off when filling the stock tank. It is wired to the pump controller.		x	x
Flow Rate	The amount of fluid that flows in a given time, normally expressed in units of gallons per minute (gpm) in solar-powered systems.		x	x
Foot Valve	A check valve placed in the water source below a surface pump. It prevents water from flowing back down the pipe and causing the pump to lose prime.		x	x
Full Warranty	Provides full coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts and any required labour (for 12 months).		x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.		x	x	x
Grounding	The process of giving electrical lightning surges a direct path to the ground that bypasses valuable equipment.		x	x
Hibernation	Customers often hold on to their offgrid solar products after their end-of-life. This is because when a consumer electronic reaches the end of its useful life it is common for consumers to store it for a period of time. It is a significant barrier to the effective flow of value within the circular economic model.				x
Incineration	Waste incinerators use the process of combustion to convert the waste materials into carbon dioxide and water.				x
Installation Warranty	This is the part of the warranty that is the responsibility of the system installer and covers their workmanship as opposed to the panels or inverters within the system. It is also important to understand whether the installer or solar retailer will assist in enacting any manufacturer warranties should a fault occur with a major system component.		x	x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x	x	x	x
Landfill	A landfill is a waste disposal site for the deposit of waste onto or into land.				x
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)	The act of measuring the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from the resources used to create the product or service, across its use by the user, to it's final end of life destination.	x	x	x	x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.		x	x
Limited Warranty	(12-month) Coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts (labor costs not included)		x	x
Linear Current Booster (LCB)	Linear current booster optimizes the current in the pump motor while sacrificing the voltage. LCB is especially useful in low sunlight condition as they ensure the solar pump continues to pump water although this might be done at less power. LCB also stabilize the current from the PV panels and ensure your DC water pump is working in low sunlight conditions.		x	x
Maintenance	A set of procedures to ensure the serviceability of a product. It also refers to activities covered under "preventive maintenance" (see definition).		x	x
Maintenance Service Contracts (MSC)	MSC defines the period over which the maintenance (Preventive Maintenance and/or Corrective Maintenance) actions are to be carried out and the payment to be made by the owner of the system to the service provider, over a defined period.		x	x
Manufacturer's Warranty	Otherwise referred to as “limited warranties,” manufacturer warranties are automatically bundled with the purchase of a manufacturer’s product.What makes them “limited?” Manufacturer warranties are only viable for a very specific window of time following the product purchase date. Generally, this time frame ranges from 90 days to an entire year with coverage offered as a product replacement plan rather than a complete repair option.		x	x
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)	A mobile machine that is intended to move persons to working positions where they are carrying out work from the work platform with the intention that persons are getting on and off the work platform only at access positions at ground level or on the chassis and which consists as a minimum of a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.		x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Monocrystalline silicon	Silicon manufactured in such a way that if forms a continuous single crystal without grain boundaries.	x
Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pump	A centrifugal pump with multiple impellers arranged in series to produce higher pressure (head).		x	x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.		x	x
Ohmmeter	The device which measures the resistance and the continuity of an electrical circuit and its components. It measures this resistance in Ohms (Ω).		x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Performance Guarantee	A solar panel performance guarantee establishes a base electricity production over the lifetime of the panels. The amount of electricity a solar panel produces slightly declines every year they are in use. This decline in production is fairly predictable as the power output should not lose more than 10-20% production over the first 25 years. If the panels drop below this at any time, a performance guarantee fixes or replaces any faulty panels so that the system is performing at optimal capacity.		x	x
Performance Warranty	Type of warranty provided by the supplier to ensure that the system as a whole will meet or exceed the design performance for a number of years.		x	x
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.		x	x
Pico products	Pico products include small, portable solar lanterns, flashlights, or lanterns designed to meet basic lighting needs as a direct replacement for kerosene lamps in a small household.	x	x	x	x
Poly- or multicrystalline silicon	Silicon manufactured in such a way that it consists of a number of small crystals, forming grains.	x
Positive Displacement Pump	Any mechanism that seals water in a chamber, then forces it out by reducing the volume of the chamber (e.g., a piston (including a jack), diaphragm, or rotary vane). It is used for low volume and high lift. (Contrast with Centrifugal Pump.)		x	x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.		x	x	x
Preventive maintenance	Maintenance carried out according to predetermined technical criteria, indicated in the instructions for use or manufacturers technical documentation, with the intention of reducing the likelihood of equipment failure or degradation of a service rendered.			x
Priming	The process of hand filling the suction and intake pipes of a surface pump with water. Priming is generally necessary when a pump is located above the water source.		x	x
Product/Equipment Warranty	Solar panel equipment warranties cover the physical panels themselves. This includes any manufacturing defects, durability issues, or equipment failure. The warranty typically covers the cost of replacing the faulty or damaged panel with a new working one. Most equipment warranties for solar panels last between 10 - 15 years but some premium panels have warranties for up to 25 years.		x	x
Pump Controller	An electronic device that controls or processes power between the solar array and the pump. It may perform any of the following functions: stopping and starting the pump, protecting the pump from overload, and converting or matching power.		x	x
Re-purpose	To change a product so that it can be used for a different purpose.				x
Re-use	Any operation by which products or parts thereof are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.			x	x
Re-use	The use of components and modules obtained from end of life products as spare parts or in other products.				x
Recycle	Recycling is the process of recovering scrap materials from products at their end of life stage and converting them to reusable materials.				x
Refurbish	Processing an end of life product such that its full functionality is restored.				x
Refurbishing	Functional or aesthetical maintenance or repair of an item to restore to original, upgraded, or other predetermined form and functionality.			x	x
Reliability	The ability of a computer-related hardware or software component to consistently perform according to its specifications. It includes solar products and systems, including the digital infrastructure to operate and maintain the products / systems.		x	x
Remanufacture	Production process that creates products using parts taken from previously used products.	x			x
Repair	The process of returning the product to serviceability, sometimes referred to as "corrective maintenance".		x	x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.			x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.		x	x	x
Replaceable part	Part of a product, that can be replaced in order to repair or upgrade a product, including replacement of software, accessories and consumables.		x	x
Reusability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts or the product as a whole to be used again for the same purpose.			x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.		x	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x		x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.		x	x
Scaffolding	Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. These are a solution for working on heights or inaccesible parts of a building during solar PV installations.		x	x
Sealed Piston Pump	A type of pump recently developed for solar submersibles. The pistons have a very short stroke, allowing the use of flexible gaskets to seal water out of the oilfilled mechanisms.		x	x
Self-Priming Pump	A pump that is able to draw some air suction in order to prime itself, at least in theory. (See Priming.)		x	x
Separation (before recycling)	Once a product has reached its end of life, the materials within it need to be separated in order for them to be recycled. The use of glue and other adhesives which prohibit this separation process makes recycling more difficult.				x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]		x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).		x	x	x
Signage	Signs that ensure the safety of installed PV systems.		x	x
Solar array mounting system	The equipment used to safely secure the PV modules to the mounting surface or ground.		x	x
Solar cell	Cells in a PV module made from semiconductor materials that convert sunlight to D.C. electricity. When light energy strikes the cell, electrons are knocked loose from the material’s atoms. Electrical conductors attached to the positive and negative sides of the material allow the electrons to be captured in the form of a D.C. current.	x
Solar Panel Warranty	A guarantee from the solar panel manufacturer or installer to ensure production levels and equipment reliability. The performance and equipment guarantees vary between products and solar companies, typically lasting between 10-25 years. A solar panel warranty has two distinct parts: product/equipment warranties and a performance guarantee.		x	x
Solar photovoltaic water pumping (SWP)	Pumping system that uses energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to power an electric water pump.		x	x
Solar Tracking System	The tracking system ensures your solar panels are producing at nearly optimum condition during the sun hours. The trackers monitor the position of the sun and move your solar panels to ensure that they are always facing the sun. So your tracker moves the solar panels early in the morning, during the day and late in the evening.		x	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Submersible Pump	A motor/pump combination designed to be placed entirely below the water surface.		x	x
Surface Pump	A pump that is not submersible in the water body. It must be placed no more than about 20 feet above the surface of the water in the well.		x	x
Thin Film	Technology used to produce solar cells based on very thin layers of PV materials deposited over an inexpensive material (glass, stainless steel, plastic).	x
Upcycle	To reuse discarded objects or materials in ways that create a new product with higher value than the objects or materials alone.	x			x
Upgradability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately upgraded or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x
Upgrade	A process to enhance the functionality or capacity of a product, including both hardware and software.	x	x
Vane Pump	A positive displacement mechanism used in low volume, high lift surface pumps and booster pumps, also known as a “rotary vane.” It is durable and efficient, but should be used only for pumping clean water due to its mechanical precision.		x	x
Voltmeter	Instrument used to measure difference in potential between two points.		x	x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.		x	x

Term	Description	Manufacturing	Operation	Maintenance	End-of-Life
Accesory	A device supplementing a main device or apparatus, by adding to its functionality as an add-on or exchangeable device.		x	x
Administration of maintenance	Ensures effective implementation, control, and documentation of maintenance services and results.			x
After sales service	After-sales services include all post-sale activities that help customers use and maintain the products. These services include installation of the product, providing technical support to customers, offering warranty coverage, ensuring spare parts availability, and repair service		x	x
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.		x	x
Anti-oxidant	Chemical compound used to prevent oxidation (corrosion of metals). Applied to exposed wires and terminals to prevent corrosion.			x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part		x	x
Availability	Availability is the ratio of time a system or component is functional to the total time it is required or expected to function. It can be expressed as a percentage or proportion.		x	x
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) Warranty	Warranties for BESS provide mechanisms for buyers and investors to mitigate the technical and operational risks of battery projects, by transferring the risk of a manufacturing defect or performance issues to the manufacturer or the battery vendor. Warranties are used in the same way for traditional generation technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind. They typically warrant that the BESS components remain free from defects and performance over the course of the warranty period (up to 15 years for long-term warranties), providing that certain operating conditions, usage patterns, and other warranty conditions are met.		x	x
Battery state of charge (SOC)	SOC is the level of charge of an electric battery relative to its capacity. Must be checked on weekly basis as part of preventative maintenance of batteries.		x	x
Battery-coupled water pumping systems	PV pumping system that consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels, charge control regulator, batteries, pump controller, pressure switch and tank and DC water pump		x	x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.		x	x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x
Commissioning	The process of “handing-over” the system to the client, i.e., ensuring that all system components have been properly installed, are in good condition and that the system is operating as expected.		x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x	x
Condition-based maintenance	The practice of using real-time information from data loggers to schedule preventive measures such as cleaning or to head off corrective maintenance problems by anticipating failures or catching them early.			x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x	x
Corrective maintenance	Required to repair damage or replace failed components.			x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters		x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.		x	x
Direct Re-use	Use, by a person other than its previous owner or user, of products for the same purpose for which they were conceived without any preparation for reuse, except minimal cleaning and adjustments that can be performed by the owner themselves (therefore, also called second-hand products).				x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x		x	x
Disassembly	A process whereby an item is taken apart in such a way that it could subsequently be reassembled and made operational.			x	x
Disassembly	Disassembly is a process in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by non-destructive operations.			x	x
Disjointment	A process whereby materials are separated by mechanical means such that the item cannot subsequently be reassembled to make it operational, for example, by cutting, grinding, scratching and abrasive processes.				x
Disposal	Disposal is the process of directing end of life material to discharge, such as incineration or landfill.				x
Downcycle	Downcycle is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality.	x			x
E-waste	E-waste is short for ‘electronic waste’ which means electronic goods and their parts that become waste products from formerly functioning electronics such as televisions, mobile phones and solar lights.				x
End-of-Life	End of life (EOL) is the final stage in a product’s lifecycle, once the product is at the end of its useful life.				x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Flooded led acid batteries	These are the most common lead-acid batteries used in solar applications. They contain vents which allow the resulting hydrogen gas from electrolysis escape. As a result, the electrolyte level will fall over a period of time, and must be monitored and topped up with water, preferably demineralised water.	x	x	x	x
Full Warranty	Provides full coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts and any required labour (for 12 months).		x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.		x	x	x
Grounding	The process of giving electrical lightning surges a direct path to the ground that bypasses valuable equipment.		x	x
Hibernation	Customers often hold on to their offgrid solar products after their end-of-life. This is because when a consumer electronic reaches the end of its useful life it is common for consumers to store it for a period of time. It is a significant barrier to the effective flow of value within the circular economic model.				x
Hydrometer	Device used to measure the battery's state of charge (SOC) by determining the specific gravity of the electrolyte.		x	x
Incineration	Waste incinerators use the process of combustion to convert the waste materials into carbon dioxide and water.				x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Landfill	A landfill is a waste disposal site for the deposit of waste onto or into land.				x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.		x	x
Limited Warranty	(12-month) Coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts (labor costs not included)		x	x
Lithium Ion Batteries	A type of rechargebale battery that's generally smaller and lighter for the same capacity, are faster at charging, and are less susceptible to degradation due to charging and discharging compared to other batteries . However, lithium ion batteries have a very high up-front cost and they can be sensitive to extreme temperature and voltages.	x	x	x	x
Maintenance	A set of procedures to ensure the serviceability of a product. It also refers to activities covered under "preventive maintenance" (see definition).		x	x
Maintenance Service Contracts (MSC)	MSC defines the period over which the maintenance (Preventive Maintenance and/or Corrective Maintenance) actions are to be carried out and the payment to be made by the owner of the system to the service provider, over a defined period.		x	x
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)	A mobile machine that is intended to move persons to working positions where they are carrying out work from the work platform with the intention that persons are getting on and off the work platform only at access positions at ground level or on the chassis and which consists as a minimum of a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.		x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.		x	x
Ohmmeter	The device which measures the resistance and the continuity of an electrical circuit and its components. It measures this resistance in Ohms (Ω).		x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Performance Warranty	Type of warranty provided by the supplier to ensure that the system as a whole will meet or exceed the design performance for a number of years.		x	x
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.		x	x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.		x	x	x
Preventive maintenance	Maintenance carried out according to predetermined technical criteria, indicated in the instructions for use or manufacturers technical documentation, with the intention of reducing the likelihood of equipment failure or degradation of a service rendered.			x
Re-purpose	To change a product so that it can be used for a different purpose.				x
Re-use	Any operation by which products or parts thereof are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.			x	x
Re-use	The use of components and modules obtained from end of life products as spare parts or in other products.				x
Recycle	Recycling is the process of recovering scrap materials from products at their end of life stage and converting them to reusable materials.				x
Refurbish	Processing an end of life product such that its full functionality is restored.				x
Refurbishing	Functional or aesthetical maintenance or repair of an item to restore to original, upgraded, or other predetermined form and functionality.			x	x
Reliability	The ability of a computer-related hardware or software component to consistently perform according to its specifications. It includes solar products and systems, including the digital infrastructure to operate and maintain the products / systems.		x	x
Repair	The process of returning the product to serviceability, sometimes referred to as "corrective maintenance".		x	x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.			x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.		x	x	x
Replaceable part	Part of a product, that can be replaced in order to repair or upgrade a product, including replacement of software, accessories and consumables.		x	x
Reusability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts or the product as a whole to be used again for the same purpose.			x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.		x	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x		x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.		x	x
Scaffolding	Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. These are a solution for working on heights or inaccesible parts of a building during solar PV installations.		x	x
Separation (before recycling)	Once a product has reached its end of life, the materials within it need to be separated in order for them to be recycled. The use of glue and other adhesives which prohibit this separation process makes recycling more difficult.				x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]		x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).		x	x	x
Signage	Signs that ensure the safety of installed PV systems.		x	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Upgradability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately upgraded or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x
Upgrade	A process to enhance the functionality or capacity of a product, including both hardware and software.	x	x
Valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries	VRLA batteries are also known as captive electrolyte batteries where the electrolyte material is made immobile (to resemble a gel-like compound). Therefore, it is naturally sealed under normal operating conditions and it is no longer restricted in physical orientation (can be placed in any direction). It reduces the evaporation, spilling and corrosion problems that are common to wet-cell batteries.	x	x	x	x
Voltmeter	Instrument used to measure difference in potential between two points.		x	x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.		x	x

Term	Description	Manufacturing	Operation	Maintenance	End-of-Life
Accesory	A device supplementing a main device or apparatus, by adding to its functionality as an add-on or exchangeable device.		x	x
Administration of maintenance	Ensures effective implementation, control, and documentation of maintenance services and results.			x
After sales service	After-sales services include all post-sale activities that help customers use and maintain the products. These services include installation of the product, providing technical support to customers, offering warranty coverage, ensuring spare parts availability, and repair service		x	x
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.		x	x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part		x	x
Asynchronous	Term applied to motors or generators which operate at a speed not fixed by poleage and the supply frequency.		x	x
Attenuators	Devices for reduction of the emission of sound (also known as silencers)		x	x
Auto transfer starter	Transformer switching arrangement to reduce voltage applied to an electric motor during starting.		x	x
Automatic transfer switch	A device used to automatically switch a power supply from normal to emergency when a power failure occurs.		x	x
Availability	Availability is the ratio of time a system or component is functional to the total time it is required or expected to function. It can be expressed as a percentage or proportion.		x	x
Backup protection	Type of protection intended to operate only after the main protective device(s) has failed to operate.		x	x
Base load	The portion of load of a generator or building which is constant.		x	x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.		x	x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x
Combined Heat and Power (CHP)	Use of a generating set or sets for the purpose of utilising the heat produced (via the exhaust and the radiator) as well as producing electricity.		x	x
Commissioning	The process of “handing-over” the system to the client, i.e., ensuring that all system components have been properly installed, are in good condition and that the system is operating as expected.		x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x	x
Condition-based maintenance	The practice of using real-time information from data loggers to schedule preventive measures such as cleaning or to head off corrective maintenance problems by anticipating failures or catching them early.			x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x	x
Corrective maintenance	Required to repair damage or replace failed components.			x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters		x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.		x	x
Diesel bug	The generic term for the microbial growth found within fuel systems and fuel storage tanks. Formed of a variety of different strains of fungi and bacteria.		x	x
Direct Re-use	Use, by a person other than its previous owner or user, of products for the same purpose for which they were conceived without any preparation for reuse, except minimal cleaning and adjustments that can be performed by the owner themselves (therefore, also called second-hand products).				x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x		x	x
Disassembly	A process whereby an item is taken apart in such a way that it could subsequently be reassembled and made operational.			x	x
Disassembly	Disassembly is a process in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by non-destructive operations.			x	x
Disjointment	A process whereby materials are separated by mechanical means such that the item cannot subsequently be reassembled to make it operational, for example, by cutting, grinding, scratching and abrasive processes.				x
Disposal	Disposal is the process of directing end of life material to discharge, such as incineration or landfill.				x
Downcycle	Downcycle is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality.	x			x
Duty assist	An arrangement where two (or more) generating sets are configured to provide mutual support in case of one piece failing to operate or needing assistance to achieve a required target: If one generating set fails to operate or cannot achieve a required target, the second (and subsequent) generating set will operate.		x	x
E-waste	E-waste is short for ‘electronic waste’ which means electronic goods and their parts that become waste products from formerly functioning electronics such as televisions, mobile phones and solar lights.				x
Electronic governor	Electronic device to control and maintain the speed of an engine.		x	x
End-of-Life	End of life (EOL) is the final stage in a product’s lifecycle, once the product is at the end of its useful life.				x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Full Warranty	Provides full coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts and any required labour (for 12 months).		x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.		x	x	x
Grounding	The process of giving electrical lightning surges a direct path to the ground that bypasses valuable equipment.		x	x
Incineration	Waste incinerators use the process of combustion to convert the waste materials into carbon dioxide and water.				x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Landfill	A landfill is a waste disposal site for the deposit of waste onto or into land.				x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.		x	x
Limited Warranty	(12-month) Coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts (labor costs not included)		x	x
Maintenance	A set of procedures to ensure the serviceability of a product. It also refers to activities covered under "preventive maintenance" (see definition).		x	x
Maintenance Service Contracts (MSC)	MSC defines the period over which the maintenance (Preventive Maintenance and/or Corrective Maintenance) actions are to be carried out and the payment to be made by the owner of the system to the service provider, over a defined period.		x	x
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)	A mobile machine that is intended to move persons to working positions where they are carrying out work from the work platform with the intention that persons are getting on and off the work platform only at access positions at ground level or on the chassis and which consists as a minimum of a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.		x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.		x	x
Ohmmeter	The device which measures the resistance and the continuity of an electrical circuit and its components. It measures this resistance in Ohms (Ω).		x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Performance Warranty	Type of warranty provided by the supplier to ensure that the system as a whole will meet or exceed the design performance for a number of years.		x	x
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.		x	x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.		x	x	x
Preventive maintenance	Maintenance carried out according to predetermined technical criteria, indicated in the instructions for use or manufacturers technical documentation, with the intention of reducing the likelihood of equipment failure or degradation of a service rendered.			x
Re-purpose	To change a product so that it can be used for a different purpose.				x
Re-use	Any operation by which products or parts thereof are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.			x	x
Re-use	The use of components and modules obtained from end of life products as spare parts or in other products.				x
Recycle	Recycling is the process of recovering scrap materials from products at their end of life stage and converting them to reusable materials.				x
Refurbish	Processing an end of life product such that its full functionality is restored.				x
Refurbishing	Functional or aesthetical maintenance or repair of an item to restore to original, upgraded, or other predetermined form and functionality.			x	x
Reliability	The ability of a computer-related hardware or software component to consistently perform according to its specifications. It includes solar products and systems, including the digital infrastructure to operate and maintain the products / systems.		x	x
Repair	The process of returning the product to serviceability, sometimes referred to as "corrective maintenance".		x	x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.			x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.		x	x	x
Replaceable part	Part of a product, that can be replaced in order to repair or upgrade a product, including replacement of software, accessories and consumables.		x	x
Reusability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts or the product as a whole to be used again for the same purpose.			x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.		x	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x		x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.		x	x
Scaffolding	Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. These are a solution for working on heights or inaccesible parts of a building during solar PV installations.		x	x
Separation (before recycling)	Once a product has reached its end of life, the materials within it need to be separated in order for them to be recycled. The use of glue and other adhesives which prohibit this separation process makes recycling more difficult.				x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]		x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).		x	x	x
Signage	Signs that ensure the safety of installed PV systems.		x	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Upgradability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately upgraded or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x
Upgrade	A process to enhance the functionality or capacity of a product, including both hardware and software.	x	x
Voltmeter	Instrument used to measure difference in potential between two points.		x	x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.		x	x

Term	Description	Manufacturing	Operation	Maintenance	End-of-Life
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.		x	x
Analogue controls	Controls using variable voltage or current to pass information.		x	x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part		x	x
Battery	A battery is a device which is used to store electrical charge.	x	x	x	x
Booster Pump	A surface pump used to increase pressure in a water line or to pull water from a storage tank and pressurize a water system.		x	x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.		x	x
Centrifugal Pump	A pumping mechanism that spins water by means of an impeller. Water is forced out of the impeller by centrifugal force, thus giving energy (head) to the water.		x	x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Check Valve	A valve that allows water to flow one way but not the other.		x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Conduit	A special reinforced tube through which a cable moves.	x	x	x	x
Corrective maintenance	Required to repair damage or replace failed components.			x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters		x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.		x	x
Diaphragm Pump	A type of pump in which water is drawn in and forced out of one or more chambers by a flexible diaphragm. Check valves let water into and out of each chamber.		x	x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. An EPR policy is characterised by (1) shifting responsibility (physically and/or economically; fully or partially) upstream towards the producers and away from governments and (2) the provision of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products.	x			x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	It represents a globally accepted concept for products and waste streams posing significant risks to human health and the environment. This concept says that economic operators placing such products onto the market carry responsibility for the sound end-oflife management of an equivalent amount of waste of such products.	x			x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Foot Valve	A check valve placed in the water source below a surface pump. It prevents water from flowing back down the pipe and causing the pump to lose prime.		x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.		x	x	x
Hibernation	Customers often hold on to their offgrid solar products after their end-of-life. This is because when a consumer electronic reaches the end of its useful life it is common for consumers to store it for a period of time. It is a significant barrier to the effective flow of value within the circular economic model.				x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x	x	x	x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.		x	x
Manufacturer's Warranty	Otherwise referred to as “limited warranties,” manufacturer warranties are automatically bundled with the purchase of a manufacturer’s product.What makes them “limited?” Manufacturer warranties are only viable for a very specific window of time following the product purchase date. Generally, this time frame ranges from 90 days to an entire year with coverage offered as a product replacement plan rather than a complete repair option.		x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pump	A centrifugal pump with multiple impellers arranged in series to produce higher pressure (head).		x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Performance Guarantee	A solar panel performance guarantee establishes a base electricity production over the lifetime of the panels. The amount of electricity a solar panel produces slightly declines every year they are in use. This decline in production is fairly predictable as the power output should not lose more than 10-20% production over the first 25 years. If the panels drop below this at any time, a performance guarantee fixes or replaces any faulty panels so that the system is performing at optimal capacity.		x	x
Positive Displacement Pump	Any mechanism that seals water in a chamber, then forces it out by reducing the volume of the chamber (e.g., a piston (including a jack), diaphragm, or rotary vane). It is used for low volume and high lift. (Contrast with Centrifugal Pump.)		x	x
Preventive maintenance	Maintenance carried out according to predetermined technical criteria, indicated in the instructions for use or manufacturers technical documentation, with the intention of reducing the likelihood of equipment failure or degradation of a service rendered.			x
Priming	The process of hand filling the suction and intake pipes of a surface pump with water. Priming is generally necessary when a pump is located above the water source.		x	x
Product/Equipment Warranty	Solar panel equipment warranties cover the physical panels themselves. This includes any manufacturing defects, durability issues, or equipment failure. The warranty typically covers the cost of replacing the faulty or damaged panel with a new working one. Most equipment warranties for solar panels last between 10 - 15 years but some premium panels have warranties for up to 25 years.		x	x
Pump Controller	An electronic device that controls or processes power between the solar array and the pump. It may perform any of the following functions: stopping and starting the pump, protecting the pump from overload, and converting or matching power.		x	x
Re-purpose	To change a product so that it can be used for a different purpose.				x
Re-use	The use of components and modules obtained from end of life products as spare parts or in other products.				x
Recycle	Recycling is the process of recovering scrap materials from products at their end of life stage and converting them to reusable materials.				x
Refurbish	Processing an end of life product such that its full functionality is restored.				x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.			x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.		x	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x		x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.		x	x
Sealed Piston Pump	A type of pump recently developed for solar submersibles. The pistons have a very short stroke, allowing the use of flexible gaskets to seal water out of the oilfilled mechanisms.		x	x
Self-Priming Pump	A pump that is able to draw some air suction in order to prime itself, at least in theory. (See Priming.)		x	x
Separation (before recycling)	Once a product has reached its end of life, the materials within it need to be separated in order for them to be recycled. The use of glue and other adhesives which prohibit this separation process makes recycling more difficult.				x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).		x	x	x
Solar cell	Cells in a PV module made from semiconductor materials that convert sunlight to D.C. electricity. When light energy strikes the cell, electrons are knocked loose from the material’s atoms. Electrical conductors attached to the positive and negative sides of the material allow the electrons to be captured in the form of a D.C. current.	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Submersible Pump	A motor/pump combination designed to be placed entirely below the water surface.		x	x
Surface Pump	A pump that is not submersible in the water body. It must be placed no more than about 20 feet above the surface of the water in the well.		x	x
Upcycle	To reuse discarded objects or materials in ways that create a new product with higher value than the objects or materials alone.	x			x
Vane Pump	A positive displacement mechanism used in low volume, high lift surface pumps and booster pumps, also known as a “rotary vane.” It is durable and efficient, but should be used only for pumping clean water due to its mechanical precision.		x	x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.		x	x

Term	Description	Manufacturing	Operation	Maintenance	End-of-Life
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x
Financial services for solar products	Decentralized Finance refers to an ecosystem of financial applications that are built on top of a blockchain. Its common goal is to develop and operate in a decentralized way – without intermediaries such as banks, payment service providers or investment funds – all types of financial services on top of a transparent and trustless blockchain network		x	x
Joint-and-several liability	In a joint-and-several liability scheme, producers of a certain product or product group agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling for a specific product or product group		x	x	x
Joint-and-several liability	Producers agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling.		x	x	x
Last-man-standing-insurance	An insurance product that covers a producer compliance scheme based on a PAYG approach if all producers disappear from the market. In that situation, the insurance covers the costs of collection and recycling.		x	x	x
Last-man-standing-insurance	This product is part of collective recycling programs. It covers the costs of collection and recycling if all producers disappear from the market by the time the product’s end of life is reached. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).		x	x	x
Last-man-standing-insurance	The insurance covers for an unforeseen event of a developer going out of business. In such scenario, the insurance company finances the waste collection and recovery. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme.		x	x	x
Micro-credit	Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history.		x	x
Micro-credit	A part of the field of microfinance, microcredit is the provision of credit services to low-income entrepreneurs. Microcredit can also refer to the actual microloan.		x	x
Micro-finance institution (MFI)	MFIs are defined as different types of organizations that offer financial products and services to the poor, and which range from “non-governmental organizations (NGOs); cooperatives; community-based development institutions (e.g., self-help groups or credit unions); commercial and state banks, insurance and credit card com-panies; telecommunications and wire services; post offices; and other points of sales”.		x	x
Micro-loans	A loan imparted by a microfinance institution to a microentrepreneur, to be used in the development of the borrower's small business. Microloans are used for working capital in the purchase of raw materials and goods for the microenterprise, as capital for construction, or in the purchase of fixed assets that aid in production, among other things.		x	x
Microfinance	Banking and/or financial services targeted to low-and-moderate income businesses or households, including the provision of credit.		x	x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	Cost of collection and recycling is borne by the producer. This is often implemented in combination with the Last-man-standing-insurance scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).				x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	The developer pays for the recycling process at the time of waste creation. This is often implemented in combination with the Last-man-standing-insurance scheme.				x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	In a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) approach, the cost of collection and recycling is covered by market participants when waste occurs.				x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	A pay-as-you-put (PAYP) approach involves setting aside an upfront payment of estimated collection and recycling costs when a product is placed on the market.		x	x	x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The pay-as-you-put model requires pre-allocating a fixed amount for the waste management process. For example, First Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer in the United States, uses this approach for recycling the waste from its modules. With the sale of each module, it sets aside a lump sum to meet the estimated future collection and recycling cost of its modules.		x	x	x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The producers set aside an estimated cost for collection and recycling waste at the time of sale.		x	x	x
PAYG (for end-user payments)	In a PAYG model, a renewable energy developer or company rents a solar home system (consisting of a PV panel, a charge controller and a battery system) to a consumer, providing the basic energy needed to power general lighting, small appliances and phone charging. Through the PAYG model, companies can automate the receipt of payments, and customers in rural areas and remote locations can get immediate access to basic energy needs. This may be digitally enabled or using physical purchase methods such as voucher schemes.		x	x
Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)	In many countries with mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, companies established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to jointly organize collection, recycling and a fair distribution of costs. These are established between companies and other market players to collaborate and achieve volumes, and thereby reducing costs.		x	x	x
Voucher schemes	Voucher schemes are demand side or end-user subsidies are targeted to customers with the purpose of directly reducing the retail cost of a product of service and increasing affordability for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Vouchers provide access to pre-defined commodities or services, and may be denominated either in cash, commodity, or service value.		x	x

• Manufacturing
• Operation
• Maintenance
• End-of-Life

Term	Description	Solar products and systems	Off-grid storage	Fuel generators	Components	Financial services for solar products
Amorphous silicon	Non-crystalline form of silicon formed using silicon vapour which is quickly cooled.	x
Battery	A battery is a device which is used to store electrical charge.				x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x
Conduit	A special reinforced tube through which a cable moves.				x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)	It is a variation of cradle-to-grave, exchanging the waste stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially “closing the loop”.	x
Cradle to Gate	Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (ie, before it is transported to the consumer).	x
Cradle to Grave	Cradle-to-grave is the full life cycle assessment from resource extraction (‘cradle’) to the use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).	x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Design for disassembly	It involves designing products to maximise the ease with which they can be taken apart for repair or separated for recycling. This involves reducing the complexity and number of tools required, reducing the time taken and minimising any permanent damage to the product.	x
Design for the environment (DfE)	DfE optimizes a product’s performance over the complete lifecycle. It employs design approaches to reduce the overall human health and environmental impacts of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its lifecycle. DfE principles, first introduced by William McDonough Architects and Dr. Michael Braungart in 1992, have been expanded upon and adopted by design professionals, scholars and government agencies.	x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x	x	x
Downcycle	Downcycle is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality.	x	x	x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. An EPR policy is characterised by (1) shifting responsibility (physically and/or economically; fully or partially) upstream towards the producers and away from governments and (2) the provision of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products.	x		x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	It represents a globally accepted concept for products and waste streams posing significant risks to human health and the environment. This concept says that economic operators placing such products onto the market carry responsibility for the sound end-oflife management of an equivalent amount of waste of such products.	x		x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Flooded lead acid batteries	These are the most common lead-acid batteries used in solar applications. They contain vents which allow the resulting hydrogen gas from electrolysis escape. As a result, the electrolyte level will fall over a period of time, and must be monitored and topped up with water, preferably demineralised water.		x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x			x
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)	The act of measuring the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from the resources used to create the product or service, across its use by the user, to it's final end of life destination.	x
Lithium Ion Batteries	A type of rechargebale battery that's generally smaller and lighter for the same capacity, are faster at charging, and are less susceptible to degradation due to charging and discharging compared to other batteries . However, lithium ion batteries have a very high up-front cost and they can be sensitive to extreme temperature and voltages.		x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Monocrystalline silicon	Silicon manufactured in such a way that if forms a continuous single crystal without grain boundaries.	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Pico products	Pico products include small, portable solar lanterns, flashlights, or lanterns designed to meet basic lighting needs as a direct replacement for kerosene lamps in a small household.	x
Poly- or multicrystalline silicon	Silicon manufactured in such a way that it consists of a number of small crystals, forming grains.	x	x	x
Remanufacture	Production process that creates products using parts taken from previously used products.	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x	x	x	x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Solar cell	Cells in a PV module made from semiconductor materials that convert sunlight to D.C. electricity. When light energy strikes the cell, electrons are knocked loose from the material’s atoms. Electrical conductors attached to the positive and negative sides of the material allow the electrons to be captured in the form of a D.C. current.	x			x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Thin Film	Technology used to produce solar cells based on very thin layers of PV materials deposited over an inexpensive material (glass, stainless steel, plastic).	x
Upcycle	To reuse discarded objects or materials in ways that create a new product with higher value than the objects or materials alone.	x			x
Upgradability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately upgraded or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x	x
Upgrade	A process to enhance the functionality or capacity of a product, including both hardware and software.	x	x	x
Valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries	VRLA batteries are also known as captive electrolyte batteries where the electrolyte material is made immobile (to resemble a gel-like compound). Therefore, it is naturally sealed under normal operating conditions and it is no longer restricted in physical orientation (can be placed in any direction). It reduces the evaporation, spilling and corrosion problems that are common to wet-cell batteries.		x

Term	Description	Solar products and systems	Off-grid storage	Fuel generators	Components	Financial services for solar products
Accesory	A device supplementing a main device or apparatus, by adding to its functionality as an add-on or exchangeable device.	x	x	x
After sales service	After-sales services include all post-sale activities that help customers use and maintain the products. These services include installation of the product, providing technical support to customers, offering warranty coverage, ensuring spare parts availability, and repair service	x	x	x
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.	x	x	x	x
Analogue controls	Controls using variable voltage or current to pass information.	x	x	x	x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part	x	x	x	x
Asynchronous	Term applied to motors or generators which operate at a speed not fixed by poleage and the supply frequency.			x
Attenuators	Devices for reduction of the emission of sound (also known as silencers)			x
Auto transfer starter	Transformer switching arrangement to reduce voltage applied to an electric motor during starting.			x
Automatic transfer swtich	A device used to automatically switch a power supply from normal to emergency when a power failure occurs.			x
Availability	Availability is the ratio of time a system or component is functional to the total time it is required or expected to function. It can be expressed as a percentage or proportion.	x	x	x
Backup protection	Type of protection intended to operate only after the main protective device(s) has failed to operate.	x		x
Base load	The portion of load of a generator or building which is constant.	x		x
Battery	A battery is a device which is used to store electrical charge.				x
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) Warranty	Warranties for BESS provide mechanisms for buyers and investors to mitigate the technical and operational risks of battery projects, by transferring the risk of a manufacturing defect or performance issues to the manufacturer or the battery vendor. Warranties are used in the same way for traditional generation technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind. They typically warrant that the BESS components remain free from defects and performance over the course of the warranty period (up to 15 years for long-term warranties), providing that certain operating conditions, usage patterns, and other warranty conditions are met.		x
Battery state of charge (SOC)	SOC is the level of charge of an electric battery relative to its capacity. Must be checked on weekly basis as part of preventative maintenance of batteries.		x
Battery-coupled water pumping systems	PV pumping system that consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels, charge control regulator, batteries, pump controller, pressure switch and tank and DC water pump	x	x
Booster Pump	A surface pump used to increase pressure in a water line or to pull water from a storage tank and pressurize a water system.	x			x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.	x	x	x	x
Centrifugal Pump	A pumping mechanism that spins water by means of an impeller. Water is forced out of the impeller by centrifugal force, thus giving energy (head) to the water.	x			x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Check Valve	A valve that allows water to flow one way but not the other.	x			x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x	x
Combined Heat and Power (CHP)	Use of a generating set or sets for the purpose of utilising the heat produced (via the exhaust and the radiator) as well as producing electricity.			x
Commissioning	The process of “handing-over” the system to the client, i.e., ensuring that all system components have been properly installed, are in good condition and that the system is operating as expected.	x	x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x
Conduit	A special reinforced tube through which a cable moves.				x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)	It is a variation of cradle-to-grave, exchanging the waste stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially “closing the loop”.	x
Cradle to Gate	Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (ie, before it is transported to the consumer).	x
Cradle to Grave	Cradle-to-grave is the full life cycle assessment from resource extraction (‘cradle’) to the use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).	x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters	x	x	x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.	x	x	x	x
Decentralised Finance	Decentralized Finance refers to an ecosystem of financial applications that are built on top of a blockchain. Its common goal is to develop and operate in a decentralized way – without intermediaries such as banks, payment service providers or investment funds – all types of financial services on top of a transparent and trustless blockchain network					x
Diaphragm Pump	A type of pump in which water is drawn in and forced out of one or more chambers by a flexible diaphragm. Check valves let water into and out of each chamber.	x			x
Diesel bug	The generic term for the microbial growth found within fuel systems and fuel storage tanks. Formed of a variety of different strains of fungi and bacteria.			x
Direct-coupled pumping systems	PV pumping system sized to store extra water on sunny days so it is available on cloudy days and at night.	x
Drawdown	The lowering of the level of water in a well due to pumping	x
Drop Pipe	The pipe that carries water from a pump in a well up to the surface.	x
Duty assist	An arrangement where two (or more) generating sets are configured to provide mutual support in case of one piece failing to operate or needing assistance to achieve a required target: If one generating set fails to operate or cannot achieve a required target, the second (and subsequent) generating set will operate.			x
Electronic governor	Electronic device to control and maintain the speed of an engine.			x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Float Switch	Turns a pump on and off when filling the stock tank. It is wired to the pump controller.	x
Flooded lead acid batteries	These are the most common lead-acid batteries used in solar applications. They contain vents which allow the resulting hydrogen gas from electrolysis escape. As a result, the electrolyte level will fall over a period of time, and must be monitored and topped up with water, preferably demineralised water.		x
Flow Rate	The amount of fluid that flows in a given time, normally expressed in units of gallons per minute (gpm) in solar-powered systems.	x
Foot Valve	A check valve placed in the water source below a surface pump. It prevents water from flowing back down the pipe and causing the pump to lose prime.	x			x
Full Warranty	Provides full coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts and any required labour (for 12 months).	x	x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.	x	x	x	x
Grounding	The process of giving electrical lightning surges a direct path to the ground that bypasses valuable equipment.	x	x	x
Hydrometer	Device used to measure the battery's state of charge (SOC) by determining the specific gravity of the electrolyte.		x
Installation Warranty	This is the part of the warranty that is the responsibility of the system installer and covers their workmanship as opposed to the panels or inverters within the system. It is also important to understand whether the installer or solar retailer will assist in enacting any manufacturer warranties should a fault occur with a major system component.	x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x			x
Joint-and-several liability	In a joint-and-several liability scheme, producers of a certain product or product group agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling for a specific product or product group					x
Joint-and-several liability	Producers agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling.					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	An insurance product that covers a producer compliance scheme based on a PAYG approach if all producers disappear from the market. In that situation, the insurance covers the costs of collection and recycling.					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	This product is part of collective recycling programs. It covers the costs of collection and recycling if all producers disappear from the market by the time the product’s end of life is reached. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	The insurance covers for an unforeseen event of a developer going out of business. In such scenario, the insurance company finances the waste collection and recovery. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme.					x
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)	The act of measuring the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from the resources used to create the product or service, across its use by the user, to it's final end of life destination.	x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.	x	x	x	x
Limited Warranty	(12-month) Coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts (labor costs not included)	x	x	x
Linear Current Booster (LCB)	Linear current booster optimizes the current in the pump motor while sacrificing the voltage. LCB is especially useful in low sunlight condition as they ensure the solar pump continues to pump water although this might be done at less power. LCB also stabilize the current from the PV panels and ensure your DC water pump is working in low sunlight conditions.	x
Lithium Ion Batteries	A type of rechargebale battery that's generally smaller and lighter for the same capacity, are faster at charging, and are less susceptible to degradation due to charging and discharging compared to other batteries . However, lithium ion batteries have a very high up-front cost and they can be sensitive to extreme temperature and voltages.		x
Maintenance	A set of procedures to ensure the serviceability of a product. It also refers to activities covered under "preventive maintenance" (see definition).	x	x	x
Maintenance Service Contracts (MSC)	MSC defines the period over which the maintenance (Preventive Maintenance and/or Corrective Maintenance) actions are to be carried out and the payment to be made by the owner of the system to the service provider, over a defined period.	x	x	x
Manufacturer's Warranty	Otherwise referred to as “limited warranties,” manufacturer warranties are automatically bundled with the purchase of a manufacturer’s product.What makes them “limited?” Manufacturer warranties are only viable for a very specific window of time following the product purchase date. Generally, this time frame ranges from 90 days to an entire year with coverage offered as a product replacement plan rather than a complete repair option.	x			x
Micro-credit	Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history.					x
Micro-credit	A part of the field of microfinance, microcredit is the provision of credit services to low-income entrepreneurs. Microcredit can also refer to the actual microloan.					x
Micro-finance institution (MFI)	MFIs are defined as different types of organizations that offer financial products and services to the poor, and which range from “non-governmental organizations (NGOs); cooperatives; community-based development institutions (e.g., self-help groups or credit unions); commercial and state banks, insurance and credit card com-panies; telecommunications and wire services; post offices; and other points of sales”.					x
Micro-loans	A loan imparted by a microfinance institution to a microentrepreneur, to be used in the development of the borrower's small business. Microloans are used for working capital in the purchase of raw materials and goods for the microenterprise, as capital for construction, or in the purchase of fixed assets that aid in production, among other things.					x
Microfinance	Banking and/or financial services targeted to low-and-moderate income businesses or households, including the provision of credit.					x
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)	A mobile machine that is intended to move persons to working positions where they are carrying out work from the work platform with the intention that persons are getting on and off the work platform only at access positions at ground level or on the chassis and which consists as a minimum of a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.	x	x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pump	A centrifugal pump with multiple impellers arranged in series to produce higher pressure (head).	x			x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.	x	x	x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.	x	x	x
Ohmmeter	The device which measures the resistance and the continuity of an electrical circuit and its components. It measures this resistance in Ohms (Ω).	x	x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	A pay-as-you-put (PAYP) approach involves setting aside an upfront payment of estimated collection and recycling costs when a product is placed on the market.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The pay-as-you-put model requires pre-allocating a fixed amount for the waste management process. For example, First Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer in the United States, uses this approach for recycling the waste from its modules. With the sale of each module, it sets aside a lump sum to meet the estimated future collection and recycling cost of its modules.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The producers set aside an estimated cost for collection and recycling waste at the time of sale.					x
PAYG (for end-user payments)	In a PAYG model, a renewable energy developer or company rents a solar home system (consisting of a PV panel, a charge controller and a battery system) to a consumer, providing the basic energy needed to power general lighting, small appliances and phone charging. Through the PAYG model, companies can automate the receipt of payments, and customers in rural areas and remote locations can get immediate access to basic energy needs. This may be digitally enabled or using physical purchase methods such as voucher schemes.					x
Performance Guarantee	A solar panel performance guarantee establishes a base electricity production over the lifetime of the panels. The amount of electricity a solar panel produces slightly declines every year they are in use. This decline in production is fairly predictable as the power output should not lose more than 10-20% production over the first 25 years. If the panels drop below this at any time, a performance guarantee fixes or replaces any faulty panels so that the system is performing at optimal capacity.	x			x
Performance Warranty	Type of warranty provided by the supplier to ensure that the system as a whole will meet or exceed the design performance for a number of years.	x	x	x
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.	x	x	x
Pico products	Pico products include small, portable solar lanterns, flashlights, or lanterns designed to meet basic lighting needs as a direct replacement for kerosene lamps in a small household.	x
Positive Displacement Pump	Any mechanism that seals water in a chamber, then forces it out by reducing the volume of the chamber (e.g., a piston (including a jack), diaphragm, or rotary vane). It is used for low volume and high lift. (Contrast with Centrifugal Pump.)	x			x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.	x	x	x
Priming	The process of hand filling the suction and intake pipes of a surface pump with water. Priming is generally necessary when a pump is located above the water source.	x			x
Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)	In many countries with mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, companies established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to jointly organize collection, recycling and a fair distribution of costs. These are established between companies and other market players to collaborate and achieve volumes, and thereby reducing costs.					x
Product/Equipment Warranty	Solar panel equipment warranties cover the physical panels themselves. This includes any manufacturing defects, durability issues, or equipment failure. The warranty typically covers the cost of replacing the faulty or damaged panel with a new working one. Most equipment warranties for solar panels last between 10 - 15 years but some premium panels have warranties for up to 25 years.	x			x
Pump Controller	An electronic device that controls or processes power between the solar array and the pump. It may perform any of the following functions: stopping and starting the pump, protecting the pump from overload, and converting or matching power.	x			x
Reliability	The ability of a computer-related hardware or software component to consistently perform according to its specifications. It includes solar products and systems, including the digital infrastructure to operate and maintain the products / systems.	x	x	x
Repair	The process of returning the product to serviceability, sometimes referred to as "corrective maintenance".	x	x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x	x
Replaceable part	Part of a product, that can be replaced in order to repair or upgrade a product, including replacement of software, accessories and consumables.	x	x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.	x	x	x	x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.	x	x	x	x
Scaffolding	Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. These are a solution for working on heights or inaccesible parts of a building during solar PV installations.	x	x	x
Sealed Piston Pump	A type of pump recently developed for solar submersibles. The pistons have a very short stroke, allowing the use of flexible gaskets to seal water out of the oilfilled mechanisms.	x			x
Self-Priming Pump	A pump that is able to draw some air suction in order to prime itself, at least in theory. (See Priming.)	x			x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]	x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).	x	x	x	x
Signage	Signs that ensure the safety of installed PV systems.	x	x	x
Solar array mounting system	The equipment used to safely secure the PV modules to the mounting surface or ground.	x
Solar Panel Warranty	A guarantee from the solar panel manufacturer or installer to ensure production levels and equipment reliability. The performance and equipment guarantees vary between products and solar companies, typically lasting between 10-25 years. A solar panel warranty has two distinct parts: product/equipment warranties and a performance guarantee.	x
Solar photovoltaic water pumping (SWP)	Pumping system that uses energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to power an electric water pump.	x
Solar Tracking System	The tracking system ensures your solar panels are producing at nearly optimum condition during the sun hours. The trackers monitor the position of the sun and move your solar panels to ensure that they are always facing the sun. So your tracker moves the solar panels early in the morning, during the day and late in the evening.	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Submersible Pump	A motor/pump combination designed to be placed entirely below the water surface.	x			x
Surface Pump	A pump that is not submersible in the water body. It must be placed no more than about 20 feet above the surface of the water in the well.	x			x
Upgradability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately upgraded or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x	x
Upgrade	A process to enhance the functionality or capacity of a product, including both hardware and software.	x	x	x
Valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries	VRLA batteries are also known as captive electrolyte batteries where the electrolyte material is made immobile (to resemble a gel-like compound). Therefore, it is naturally sealed under normal operating conditions and it is no longer restricted in physical orientation (can be placed in any direction). It reduces the evaporation, spilling and corrosion problems that are common to wet-cell batteries.		x
Vane Pump	A positive displacement mechanism used in low volume, high lift surface pumps and booster pumps, also known as a “rotary vane.” It is durable and efficient, but should be used only for pumping clean water due to its mechanical precision.	x			x
Voltmeter	Instrument used to measure difference in potential between two points.	x	x	x
Voucher schemes	Voucher schemes are demand side or end-user subsidies are targeted to customers with the purpose of directly reducing the retail cost of a product of service and increasing affordability for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Vouchers provide access to pre-defined commodities or services, and may be denominated either in cash, commodity, or service value.					x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.	x	x	x	x

Term	Description	Solar products and systems	Off-grid storage	Fuel generators	Components	Financial services for solar products
Accesory	A device supplementing a main device or apparatus, by adding to its functionality as an add-on or exchangeable device.	x	x	x
Administration of maintenance	Ensures effective implementation, control, and documentation of maintenance services and results.	x	x	x	x
After sales service	After-sales services include all post-sale activities that help customers use and maintain the products. These services include installation of the product, providing technical support to customers, offering warranty coverage, ensuring spare parts availability, and repair service	x	x	x
Ammeter	The meter / device used for measuring current flowing through a conductor.	x	x	x	x
Analogue controls	Controls using variable voltage or current to pass information.	x	x	x	x
Anti-oxidant	Chemical compound used to prevent oxidation (corrosion of metals). Applied to exposed wires and terminals to prevent corrosion.		x
Assembly	A set of components assembled into a single part	x	x	x	x
Asynchronous	Term applied to motors or generators which operate at a speed not fixed by poleage and the supply frequency.			x
Attenuators	Devices for reduction of the emission of sound (also known as silencers)			x
Auto transfer starter	Transformer switching arrangement to reduce voltage applied to an electric motor during starting.			x
Automatic transfer swtich	A device used to automatically switch a power supply from normal to emergency when a power failure occurs.			x
Availability	Availability is the ratio of time a system or component is functional to the total time it is required or expected to function. It can be expressed as a percentage or proportion.	x	x	x
Backup protection	Type of protection intended to operate only after the main protective device(s) has failed to operate.	x		x
Base load	The portion of load of a generator or building which is constant.	x		x
Battery	A battery is a device which is used to store electrical charge.				x
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) Warranty	Warranties for BESS provide mechanisms for buyers and investors to mitigate the technical and operational risks of battery projects, by transferring the risk of a manufacturing defect or performance issues to the manufacturer or the battery vendor. Warranties are used in the same way for traditional generation technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind. They typically warrant that the BESS components remain free from defects and performance over the course of the warranty period (up to 15 years for long-term warranties), providing that certain operating conditions, usage patterns, and other warranty conditions are met.		x
Battery state of charge (SOC)	SOC is the level of charge of an electric battery relative to its capacity. Must be checked on weekly basis as part of preventative maintenance of batteries.		x
Battery-coupled water pumping systems	PV pumping system that consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels, charge control regulator, batteries, pump controller, pressure switch and tank and DC water pump	x	x
Booster Pump	A surface pump used to increase pressure in a water line or to pull water from a storage tank and pressurize a water system.	x			x
Cable Splice	A joint in an electrical cable.	x	x	x	x
Centrifugal Pump	A pumping mechanism that spins water by means of an impeller. Water is forced out of the impeller by centrifugal force, thus giving energy (head) to the water.	x			x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Check Valve	A valve that allows water to flow one way but not the other.	x			x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x	x
Combined Heat and Power (CHP)	Use of a generating set or sets for the purpose of utilising the heat produced (via the exhaust and the radiator) as well as producing electricity.			x
Commissioning	The process of “handing-over” the system to the client, i.e., ensuring that all system components have been properly installed, are in good condition and that the system is operating as expected.	x	x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x
Condition-based maintenance	The practice of using real-time information from data loggers to schedule preventive measures such as cleaning or to head off corrective maintenance problems by anticipating failures or catching them early.	x	x	x
Conduit	A special reinforced tube through which a cable moves.				x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x
Corrective maintenance	Required to repair damage or replace failed components.	x	x	x	x
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)	It is a variation of cradle-to-grave, exchanging the waste stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially “closing the loop”.	x
Cradle to Gate	Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (ie, before it is transported to the consumer).	x
Cradle to Grave	Cradle-to-grave is the full life cycle assessment from resource extraction (‘cradle’) to the use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).	x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Data Logging	Monitoring and recording key system parameters	x	x	x	x
Data Sheet	Data sheets are used to capture process, mechanical, electrical, and control requirements for equipment and instruments.	x	x	x	x
Decentralised Finance	Decentralized Finance refers to an ecosystem of financial applications that are built on top of a blockchain. Its common goal is to develop and operate in a decentralized way – without intermediaries such as banks, payment service providers or investment funds – all types of financial services on top of a transparent and trustless blockchain network					x
Design for disassembly	It involves designing products to maximise the ease with which they can be taken apart for repair or separated for recycling. This involves reducing the complexity and number of tools required, reducing the time taken and minimising any permanent damage to the product.	x
Design for the environment (DfE)	DfE optimizes a product’s performance over the complete lifecycle. It employs design approaches to reduce the overall human health and environmental impacts of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its lifecycle. DfE principles, first introduced by William McDonough Architects and Dr. Michael Braungart in 1992, have been expanded upon and adopted by design professionals, scholars and government agencies.	x
Diaphragm Pump	A type of pump in which water is drawn in and forced out of one or more chambers by a flexible diaphragm. Check valves let water into and out of each chamber.	x			x
Diesel bug	The generic term for the microbial growth found within fuel systems and fuel storage tanks. Formed of a variety of different strains of fungi and bacteria.			x
Direct-coupled pumping systems	PV pumping system sized to store extra water on sunny days so it is available on cloudy days and at night.	x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x	x	x
Disassembly	A process whereby an item is taken apart in such a way that it could subsequently be reassembled and made operational.	x	x	x
Disassembly	Disassembly is a process in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by non-destructive operations.	x	x	x
Drawdown	The lowering of the level of water in a well due to pumping	x
Drop Pipe	The pipe that carries water from a pump in a well up to the surface.	x
Duty assist	An arrangement where two (or more) generating sets are configured to provide mutual support in case of one piece failing to operate or needing assistance to achieve a required target: If one generating set fails to operate or cannot achieve a required target, the second (and subsequent) generating set will operate.			x
Electronic governor	Electronic device to control and maintain the speed of an engine.			x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Float Switch	Turns a pump on and off when filling the stock tank. It is wired to the pump controller.	x
Flooded lead acid batteries	These are the most common lead-acid batteries used in solar applications. They contain vents which allow the resulting hydrogen gas from electrolysis escape. As a result, the electrolyte level will fall over a period of time, and must be monitored and topped up with water, preferably demineralised water.		x
Flow Rate	The amount of fluid that flows in a given time, normally expressed in units of gallons per minute (gpm) in solar-powered systems.	x
Foot Valve	A check valve placed in the water source below a surface pump. It prevents water from flowing back down the pipe and causing the pump to lose prime.	x			x
Full Warranty	Provides full coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts and any required labour (for 12 months).	x	x	x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.	x	x	x	x
Grounding	The process of giving electrical lightning surges a direct path to the ground that bypasses valuable equipment.	x	x	x
Hydrometer	Device used to measure the battery's state of charge (SOC) by determining the specific gravity of the electrolyte.		x
Installation Warranty	This is the part of the warranty that is the responsibility of the system installer and covers their workmanship as opposed to the panels or inverters within the system. It is also important to understand whether the installer or solar retailer will assist in enacting any manufacturer warranties should a fault occur with a major system component.	x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x			x
Joint-and-several liability	In a joint-and-several liability scheme, producers of a certain product or product group agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling for a specific product or product group					x
Joint-and-several liability	Producers agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling.					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	An insurance product that covers a producer compliance scheme based on a PAYG approach if all producers disappear from the market. In that situation, the insurance covers the costs of collection and recycling.					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	This product is part of collective recycling programs. It covers the costs of collection and recycling if all producers disappear from the market by the time the product’s end of life is reached. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	The insurance covers for an unforeseen event of a developer going out of business. In such scenario, the insurance company finances the waste collection and recovery. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme.					x
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)	The act of measuring the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from the resources used to create the product or service, across its use by the user, to it's final end of life destination.	x
Lifecycle	A product’s lifecycle refers to the life of a product from its design, raw material extraction and manufacture through its useful life and into its end of life disposal, recycle or reuse.	x	x	x	x
Limited Warranty	(12-month) Coverage against defective material or workmanship on all parts (labor costs not included)	x	x	x
Linear Current Booster (LCB)	Linear current booster optimizes the current in the pump motor while sacrificing the voltage. LCB is especially useful in low sunlight condition as they ensure the solar pump continues to pump water although this might be done at less power. LCB also stabilize the current from the PV panels and ensure your DC water pump is working in low sunlight conditions.	x
Lithium Ion Batteries	A type of rechargebale battery that's generally smaller and lighter for the same capacity, are faster at charging, and are less susceptible to degradation due to charging and discharging compared to other batteries . However, lithium ion batteries have a very high up-front cost and they can be sensitive to extreme temperature and voltages.		x
Maintenance	A set of procedures to ensure the serviceability of a product. It also refers to activities covered under "preventive maintenance" (see definition).	x	x	x
Maintenance Service Contracts (MSC)	MSC defines the period over which the maintenance (Preventive Maintenance and/or Corrective Maintenance) actions are to be carried out and the payment to be made by the owner of the system to the service provider, over a defined period.	x	x	x
Manufacturer's Warranty	Otherwise referred to as “limited warranties,” manufacturer warranties are automatically bundled with the purchase of a manufacturer’s product.What makes them “limited?” Manufacturer warranties are only viable for a very specific window of time following the product purchase date. Generally, this time frame ranges from 90 days to an entire year with coverage offered as a product replacement plan rather than a complete repair option.	x			x
Micro-credit	Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history.					x
Micro-credit	A part of the field of microfinance, microcredit is the provision of credit services to low-income entrepreneurs. Microcredit can also refer to the actual microloan.					x
Micro-finance institution (MFI)	MFIs are defined as different types of organizations that offer financial products and services to the poor, and which range from “non-governmental organizations (NGOs); cooperatives; community-based development institutions (e.g., self-help groups or credit unions); commercial and state banks, insurance and credit card com-panies; telecommunications and wire services; post offices; and other points of sales”.					x
Micro-loans	A loan imparted by a microfinance institution to a microentrepreneur, to be used in the development of the borrower's small business. Microloans are used for working capital in the purchase of raw materials and goods for the microenterprise, as capital for construction, or in the purchase of fixed assets that aid in production, among other things.					x
Microfinance	Banking and/or financial services targeted to low-and-moderate income businesses or households, including the provision of credit.					x
Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP)	A mobile machine that is intended to move persons to working positions where they are carrying out work from the work platform with the intention that persons are getting on and off the work platform only at access positions at ground level or on the chassis and which consists as a minimum of a work platform with controls, an extending structure and a chassis.	x	x	x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Multi-Stage Centrifugal Pump	A centrifugal pump with multiple impellers arranged in series to produce higher pressure (head).	x			x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.	x	x	x
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)	Occupational Health and Safety is the discipline concerned with preserving and protecting human resources in the workplace.	x	x	x
Ohmmeter	The device which measures the resistance and the continuity of an electrical circuit and its components. It measures this resistance in Ohms (Ω).	x	x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	A pay-as-you-put (PAYP) approach involves setting aside an upfront payment of estimated collection and recycling costs when a product is placed on the market.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The pay-as-you-put model requires pre-allocating a fixed amount for the waste management process. For example, First Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer in the United States, uses this approach for recycling the waste from its modules. With the sale of each module, it sets aside a lump sum to meet the estimated future collection and recycling cost of its modules.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The producers set aside an estimated cost for collection and recycling waste at the time of sale.					x
PAYG (for end-user payments)	In a PAYG model, a renewable energy developer or company rents a solar home system (consisting of a PV panel, a charge controller and a battery system) to a consumer, providing the basic energy needed to power general lighting, small appliances and phone charging. Through the PAYG model, companies can automate the receipt of payments, and customers in rural areas and remote locations can get immediate access to basic energy needs. This may be digitally enabled or using physical purchase methods such as voucher schemes.					x
Performance Guarantee	A solar panel performance guarantee establishes a base electricity production over the lifetime of the panels. The amount of electricity a solar panel produces slightly declines every year they are in use. This decline in production is fairly predictable as the power output should not lose more than 10-20% production over the first 25 years. If the panels drop below this at any time, a performance guarantee fixes or replaces any faulty panels so that the system is performing at optimal capacity.	x			x
Performance Warranty	Type of warranty provided by the supplier to ensure that the system as a whole will meet or exceed the design performance for a number of years.	x	x	x
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)	Personal protective equipment, commonly referred to as "PPE", is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.	x	x	x
Pico products	Pico products include small, portable solar lanterns, flashlights, or lanterns designed to meet basic lighting needs as a direct replacement for kerosene lamps in a small household.	x
Positive Displacement Pump	Any mechanism that seals water in a chamber, then forces it out by reducing the volume of the chamber (e.g., a piston (including a jack), diaphragm, or rotary vane). It is used for low volume and high lift. (Contrast with Centrifugal Pump.)	x			x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.	x	x	x
Preventive maintenance	Maintenance carried out according to predetermined technical criteria, indicated in the instructions for use or manufacturers technical documentation, with the intention of reducing the likelihood of equipment failure or degradation of a service rendered.	x	x	x	x
Priming	The process of hand filling the suction and intake pipes of a surface pump with water. Priming is generally necessary when a pump is located above the water source.	x			x
Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)	In many countries with mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, companies established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to jointly organize collection, recycling and a fair distribution of costs. These are established between companies and other market players to collaborate and achieve volumes, and thereby reducing costs.					x
Product/Equipment Warranty	Solar panel equipment warranties cover the physical panels themselves. This includes any manufacturing defects, durability issues, or equipment failure. The warranty typically covers the cost of replacing the faulty or damaged panel with a new working one. Most equipment warranties for solar panels last between 10 - 15 years but some premium panels have warranties for up to 25 years.	x			x
Pump Controller	An electronic device that controls or processes power between the solar array and the pump. It may perform any of the following functions: stopping and starting the pump, protecting the pump from overload, and converting or matching power.	x			x
Re-use	Any operation by which products or parts thereof are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.	x	x	x
Refurbishing	Functional or aesthetical maintenance or repair of an item to restore to original, upgraded, or other predetermined form and functionality.	x	x	x
Reliability	The ability of a computer-related hardware or software component to consistently perform according to its specifications. It includes solar products and systems, including the digital infrastructure to operate and maintain the products / systems.	x	x	x
Repair	The process of returning the product to serviceability, sometimes referred to as "corrective maintenance".	x	x	x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.	x	x	x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x	x
Replaceable part	Part of a product, that can be replaced in order to repair or upgrade a product, including replacement of software, accessories and consumables.	x	x	x
Reusability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts or the product as a whole to be used again for the same purpose.	x	x	x
Reversible connection	Reversible disassembly operations are non-destructive actions that can be accomplished with relative ease, such as screwing and unscrewing or snapping and unsnapping. Reversible connections are important for repairing a product and not damaging fasteners or components.	x	x	x	x
Rework	Transforming products, which are not produced according to the standards, into products that meet the standards of properly produced items.	x	x	x	x
Safety Data Sheet / SDS (or Material Safety Data Sheet / MSDS)	The SDS includes information such as the properties of each chemical; the physical, health, and environmental health hazards; protective measures; and safety precautions for handling, storing, and transporting the chemical.	x	x	x	x
Scaffolding	Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. These are a solution for working on heights or inaccesible parts of a building during solar PV installations.	x	x	x
Sealed Piston Pump	A type of pump recently developed for solar submersibles. The pistons have a very short stroke, allowing the use of flexible gaskets to seal water out of the oilfilled mechanisms.	x			x
Self-Priming Pump	A pump that is able to draw some air suction in order to prime itself, at least in theory. (See Priming.)	x			x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]	x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).	x	x	x	x
Signage	Signs that ensure the safety of installed PV systems.	x	x	x
Solar array mounting system	The equipment used to safely secure the PV modules to the mounting surface or ground.	x
Solar Panel Warranty	A guarantee from the solar panel manufacturer or installer to ensure production levels and equipment reliability. The performance and equipment guarantees vary between products and solar companies, typically lasting between 10-25 years. A solar panel warranty has two distinct parts: product/equipment warranties and a performance guarantee.	x
Solar photovoltaic water pumping (SWP)	Pumping system that uses energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to power an electric water pump.	x
Solar Tracking System	The tracking system ensures your solar panels are producing at nearly optimum condition during the sun hours. The trackers monitor the position of the sun and move your solar panels to ensure that they are always facing the sun. So your tracker moves the solar panels early in the morning, during the day and late in the evening.	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Submersible Pump	A motor/pump combination designed to be placed entirely below the water surface.	x			x
Surface Pump	A pump that is not submersible in the water body. It must be placed no more than about 20 feet above the surface of the water in the well.	x			x
Valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries	VRLA batteries are also known as captive electrolyte batteries where the electrolyte material is made immobile (to resemble a gel-like compound). Therefore, it is naturally sealed under normal operating conditions and it is no longer restricted in physical orientation (can be placed in any direction). It reduces the evaporation, spilling and corrosion problems that are common to wet-cell batteries.		x
Vane Pump	A positive displacement mechanism used in low volume, high lift surface pumps and booster pumps, also known as a “rotary vane.” It is durable and efficient, but should be used only for pumping clean water due to its mechanical precision.	x			x
Voltmeter	Instrument used to measure difference in potential between two points.	x	x	x
Voucher schemes	Voucher schemes are demand side or end-user subsidies are targeted to customers with the purpose of directly reducing the retail cost of a product of service and increasing affordability for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Vouchers provide access to pre-defined commodities or services, and may be denominated either in cash, commodity, or service value.					x
Warranty / Base Warranty	A warranty is a legal contract which requires the manufacturer to either rectify or compensate for all failures occurring within the warranty period.	x	x	x	x

Term	Description	Solar products and systems	Off-grid storage	Fuel generators	Components	Financial services for solar products
Battery	A battery is a device which is used to store electrical charge.				x
Charge controller	The device which regulates amount of current charging the battery and controls the energy produced by PV array.	x	x	x	x
Circular economy	The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.	x	x	x	x	x
Component	A part of a product that cannot be taken apart without the destruction or impairment of its intended use.	x	x	x	x
Component	A component is a part that cannot be further disassembled except by destructive means. Examples of components include batteries, cables, lighting elements, and plastic housing.	x	x	x
Conduit	A special reinforced tube through which a cable moves.				x
Connection	A connection forms a relationship between two components.	x	x	x
Consumable	Product content that is foreseen to be frequently replaced or refilled during the normal life time of the product, such as filters, lubricants, refrigerants, heat exchange liquids, etc.	x	x	x
Cradle to Cradle (C2C)	It is a variation of cradle-to-grave, exchanging the waste stage with a recycling process that makes it reusable for another product, essentially “closing the loop”.	x
Cradle to Gate	Cradle-to-gate is an assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (ie, before it is transported to the consumer).	x
Cradle to Grave	Cradle-to-grave is the full life cycle assessment from resource extraction (‘cradle’) to the use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).	x
Current	The current is the flow of electrons whose unit is ampere.	x	x	x	x
Design for disassembly	It involves designing products to maximise the ease with which they can be taken apart for repair or separated for recycling. This involves reducing the complexity and number of tools required, reducing the time taken and minimising any permanent damage to the product.	x
Design for the environment (DfE)	DfE optimizes a product’s performance over the complete lifecycle. It employs design approaches to reduce the overall human health and environmental impacts of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its lifecycle. DfE principles, first introduced by William McDonough Architects and Dr. Michael Braungart in 1992, have been expanded upon and adopted by design professionals, scholars and government agencies.	x
Direct Re-use	Use, by a person other than its previous owner or user, of products for the same purpose for which they were conceived without any preparation for reuse, except minimal cleaning and adjustments that can be performed by the owner themselves (therefore, also called second-hand products).	x	x	x
Disassemblibility	Characteristic of a product which can be disassembled in several parts without destruction, and subsequently be reassembled (with the same or equivalent parts) and made operational.	x	x	x
Disassembly	A process whereby an item is taken apart in such a way that it could subsequently be reassembled and made operational.	x	x	x
Disassembly	Disassembly is a process in which a product is separated into its components and/or subassemblies by non-destructive operations.	x	x	x
Disjointment	A process whereby materials are separated by mechanical means such that the item cannot subsequently be reassembled to make it operational, for example, by cutting, grinding, scratching and abrasive processes.	x	x	x
Disposal	Disposal is the process of directing end of life material to discharge, such as incineration or landfill.	x	x	x
Downcycle	Downcycle is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality and reduced functionality.	x	x	x
E-waste	E-waste is short for ‘electronic waste’ which means electronic goods and their parts that become waste products from formerly functioning electronics such as televisions, mobile phones and solar lights.	x	x	x
End-of-Life	End of life (EOL) is the final stage in a product’s lifecycle, once the product is at the end of its useful life.	x	x	x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. An EPR policy is characterised by (1) shifting responsibility (physically and/or economically; fully or partially) upstream towards the producers and away from governments and (2) the provision of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products.	x		x
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)	It represents a globally accepted concept for products and waste streams posing significant risks to human health and the environment. This concept says that economic operators placing such products onto the market carry responsibility for the sound end-oflife management of an equivalent amount of waste of such products.	x		x
Fasteners	Fasteners are used to secure the connection between two components. Example of fasteners include screws, clamps and snap-fits.	x	x	x	x
Flooded lead acid batteries	These are the most common lead-acid batteries used in solar applications. They contain vents which allow the resulting hydrogen gas from electrolysis escape. As a result, the electrolyte level will fall over a period of time, and must be monitored and topped up with water, preferably demineralised water.		x
Ground fault	A fault, or insulation failure, in the wire used to create a path to ground.	x	x	x	x
Hibernation	Customers often hold on to their offgrid solar products after their end-of-life. This is because when a consumer electronic reaches the end of its useful life it is common for consumers to store it for a period of time. It is a significant barrier to the effective flow of value within the circular economic model.	x	x		x
Incineration	Waste incinerators use the process of combustion to convert the waste materials into carbon dioxide and water.	x	x	x
Interchangeable Components	Interchangeable components are made to specification that ensures that they will fit into any assembly of the same type.	x	x	x	x
Inverter	The purpose of an inverter is to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity into the form of current suitable for Alternating Current (AC) electrical appliances and/or exportable to the AC grid.	x			x
Joint-and-several liability	In a joint-and-several liability scheme, producers of a certain product or product group agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling for a specific product or product group					x
Joint-and-several liability	Producers agree to jointly accept the liabilities for waste collection and recycling.					x
Landfill	A landfill is a waste disposal site for the deposit of waste onto or into land.	x	x	x
Last-man-standing-insurance	An insurance product that covers a producer compliance scheme based on a PAYG approach if all producers disappear from the market. In that situation, the insurance covers the costs of collection and recycling.					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	This product is part of collective recycling programs. It covers the costs of collection and recycling if all producers disappear from the market by the time the product’s end of life is reached. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).					x
Last-man-standing-insurance	The insurance covers for an unforeseen event of a developer going out of business. In such scenario, the insurance company finances the waste collection and recovery. This is often implemented in combination with the PAYG financing scheme.					x
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)	The act of measuring the environmental impact of a product or service throughout its life cycle, from the resources used to create the product or service, across its use by the user, to it's final end of life destination.	x
Lithium Ion Batteries	A type of rechargebale battery that's generally smaller and lighter for the same capacity, are faster at charging, and are less susceptible to degradation due to charging and discharging compared to other batteries . However, lithium ion batteries have a very high up-front cost and they can be sensitive to extreme temperature and voltages.		x
Modular	Modular products are designed with well-defined functions and interfaces so that they connect together easily. Modularly designed products can also be disassembled easily without damaging components.	x	x	x	x
Parallel connection	When stringing panels in parallel, each additional panel increases the current (amperage) of the circuit, however, the voltage of the circuit remains the same, and is equivalent to the voltage of each panel. In other words, the voltage isn’t additive.	x	x	x	x
Part	Any component or assembly of the system, excluding software, consumables and accessories.	x	x	x	x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	Cost of collection and recycling is borne by the producer. This is often implemented in combination with the Last-man-standing-insurance scheme (for example, the implementation of the WEE directive in Germany).					x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	The developer pays for the recycling process at the time of waste creation. This is often implemented in combination with the Last-man-standing-insurance scheme.					x
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) (for End of Life Financing)	In a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) approach, the cost of collection and recycling is covered by market participants when waste occurs.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	A pay-as-you-put (PAYP) approach involves setting aside an upfront payment of estimated collection and recycling costs when a product is placed on the market.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The pay-as-you-put model requires pre-allocating a fixed amount for the waste management process. For example, First Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer in the United States, uses this approach for recycling the waste from its modules. With the sale of each module, it sets aside a lump sum to meet the estimated future collection and recycling cost of its modules.					x
Pay-as-you-put (PAYP) (for End of Life Financing)	The producers set aside an estimated cost for collection and recycling waste at the time of sale.					x
Pico products	Pico products include small, portable solar lanterns, flashlights, or lanterns designed to meet basic lighting needs as a direct replacement for kerosene lamps in a small household.	x
Preparation for re-use	A sequence of operations by which products, or parts thereof, are prepared so that they can be used by a person other than its previous owner or user, for the same purpose for which they were conceived. Preparation of Re-use of products includes cleaning, testing, repairing, etc. and can apply to both hardware and software settings and updates. Preparation of re-use of parts or components includes extracting them from the product where they are installed so that they can be used to build or repair other products.	x	x	x
Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)	In many countries with mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems, companies established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to jointly organize collection, recycling and a fair distribution of costs. These are established between companies and other market players to collaborate and achieve volumes, and thereby reducing costs.					x
Re-purpose	To change a product so that it can be used for a different purpose.	x	x	x	x
Re-use	Any operation by which products or parts thereof are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.	x	x	x
Re-use	The use of components and modules obtained from end of life products as spare parts or in other products.	x	x	x	x
Recycle	Recycling is the process of recovering scrap materials from products at their end of life stage and converting them to reusable materials.	x	x	x	x
Refurbish	Processing an end of life product such that its full functionality is restored.	x	x	x	x
Refurbishing	Functional or aesthetical maintenance or repair of an item to restore to original, upgraded, or other predetermined form and functionality.	x	x	x
Remanufacture	Production process that creates products using parts taken from previously used products.	x
Repair	Repair is aimed at restoring the product’s functionality after its failure. It often includes partial disassembly, component replacement and reassembly.	x	x	x	x
Reparability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts to be separately repaired or replaced without having to replace the entire product.	x	x	x
Reusability	Characteristic of a product that allows all or some of its parts or the product as a whole to be used again for the same purpose.	x	x	x
Separation (before recycling)	Once a product has reached its end of life, the materials within it need to be separated in order for them to be recycled. The use of glue and other adhesives which prohibit this separation process makes recycling more difficult.	x	x	x	x
Series connection	When stringing panels in series, each panel adds to the total voltage (V) of the string but the current (I) in the string remains the same. So, when considering power output, adding the voltages means that power can increase quickly under ideal circumstances.	x	x	x	x
Serviceability	Serviceability is an expression of the ease with which a component, device or system can be maintained and repaired. Also: "ability of a product to perform the specified functions" [SOURCE: ISO 4306-1:1990, definition 1.2]	x	x	x
Short circuit	A Short Circuit is any current not confined to the normal path. The term comes from the fact that such currents bypass the normal load (i.e., it finds a “short” path around the load).	x	x	x	x
Spare Part	A part which can replace a faulty, failed or worn-out replaceable part.	x	x	x
Subassembly	A connected set of components, such as a circuit board consisting of a PCB and soldered electronic components.	x	x	x	x
Upcycle	To reuse discarded objects or materials in ways that create a new product with higher value than the objects or materials alone.	x			x
Valve regulated lead–acid (VRLA) batteries	VRLA batteries are also known as captive electrolyte batteries where the electrolyte material is made immobile (to resemble a gel-like compound). Therefore, it is naturally sealed under normal operating conditions and it is no longer restricted in physical orientation (can be placed in any direction). It reduces the evaporation, spilling and corrosion problems that are common to wet-cell batteries.		x

• Pico PV Systems
• Solar Home Systems
• Solar Water Pumps
• Warranties Pico PV & SH Systems
• Warranties Solar Water Pumps
• Frequent Malfunctions
• Protocols: Testing
• Protocols: Technician Tools
• Protocols: Skilled Technicians

System/ Component	Type of Maintenance	Task	Required	Required Equipment	Frequency of Action	Importance
PV Panels	Preventive / best practice for use	Charge the solar panels everyday, even if it is cloudy. Solar panels should be placed in the sun for 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (facing the sun) per day for a full charge. Some companies recommend 2 full days of sun of to charge their product for the first time use.	Owner / User	None	During first installation. The task can be reviwed after observing for a few days of operation.	High
PV Panels	Preventive / best practice for use	Check for new shading elements that may prevent the panels from charging during the day. Solar lights for outdoor use should have been installed in a position to receive as much direct sunlight as possible. If there is a new shading element, change the position of the solar light.	Owner / User	Usually portable, maybe a screwdriver for mechanically secured systems	Weekly	Medium
PV Panels	Preventive / best practice for use	Keep the panels dry and clean free of dirt and dust	Owner / User	Cleaning cloth	Daily	Medium
Lamp / bulb	Preventive / best practice for use	Do not keep the panels in a dusty / sandy area. Keep the lamps free of dirt and dust to allow proper illumination. Wipe clean with a soft cloth, and make sure it is dry.	Owner / User	Cleaning cloth	Daily	Medium
Batteries	Preventive / best practice for use	Do not leave the system (panels) exposed outdoors when it is not charging or when it is fully charged. Some products may not be protected against overcharging, and this can affect battery performance.	Owner / User	None	Daily	Medium
System	Preventive / best practice for use	Keep the system away from hot surfaces and fire	Owner / User	None	Daily	High
Batteries	Preventive / best practice for use	Use the lights for at least 4 hours after a full charge, to efficiently use the batteries	Owner / User	None	Daily	Medium
Batteries	Preventive / best practice for use	Charge the mobile phone during the day, when the panel is facing the sun (also charging), to maximise battery usage.	Owner / User	None	When used	Medium
System	Preventive / best practice for use	Do not open the solar product or try to repair internal components, like the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). In case of malfunction or breakage, contact a Skilled technician or a company representative	Owner / User	None	When used	High
System	Preventive / best practice for use	Do not leave solar system outside in the rain	Owner / User	None	When used	Medium
System	Preventive / best practice for use	Turn the light off during charging. If you are not sure of the switch position, put the panel under the sun and check the light after 20 minutes.	Owner / User	None	When used	High
Cables and Wires	Preventive / best practice for use	Check for any loose connections through visual inspection. Secure these loose connections using electrical safety gloves. In case of burnt or damaged cables, call a qualitifed technician for maintenance	Owner / User	Safety gloves	When the system has been displaced or not functioning optimally	High
Components/ Whole System	Best practice for use	•Contact customer support to attempt product/component replacement. •If repair not possible, request replacement •If replacement not diserable, arrange return of damaged / dysfunctional product to company. •If return to company not possible, give the system / component to electronic/chemical recycling companies in the neigborhood •If no recycling companies are available, dispose off safely as 'electronic and chemical' waste, as per local municipality / government guidelines.	Owner / User	None	Single time, if component / system becomes dysfunctional	-

System/ Component	Tasks	Required Expertise	Required Equipment	Frequency of Action	Importance
PV Panels	Charge the solar panels everyday, even if it is cloudy. Solar panels should be placed in the sun for 6-8 hours of direct sunlight (facing the sun) per day for a full charge. Some companies recommend 2 full days of sun of to charge their product for the first time use.	Owner / User	None	During first installation. The task can be reviwed after observing for a few days of operation.	High
PV Panels	Check for new shading elements that may prevent the panels from charging during the day. Solar lights for outdoor use should have been installed in a position to receive as much direct sunlight as possible. If there is a new shading element, change the position of the solar light.	Owner / User	Usually portable, maybe a screwdriver for mechanically secured systems	Weekly	Medium
PV Panels	Keep the panels dry and clean free of dirt and dust	Owner / User	Cleaning cloth	Daily	Medium
Lamp / bulb	Do not keep the panels in a dusty / sandy area. Keep the lamps free of dirt and dust to allow proper illumination. Wipe clean with a soft cloth, and make sure it is dry.	Owner / User	Cleaning cloth	Daily	Medium
Batteries	Do not leave the system (panels) exposed outdoors when it is not charging or when it is fully charged. Some products may not be protected against overcharging, and this can affect battery performance.	Owner / User	None	Daily	Medium
System	Keep the system away from hot surfaces and fire	Owner / User	None	Daily	High
Batteries	Use the lights for at least 4 hours after a full charge, to efficiently use the batteries	Owner / User	None	Daily	Medium
Batteries	Charge the mobile phone during the day, when the panel is facing the sun (also charging), to maximise battery usage.	Owner / User	None	When used	Medium
System	Do not open the solar product or try to repair internal components, like the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). In case of malfunction or breakage, contact a Skilled technician or a company representative	Owner / User	None	When used	High
System	Do not leave solar system outside in the rain	Owner / User	None	When used	Medium
System	Turn the light off during charging. If you are not sure of the switch position, put the panel under the sun and check the light after 20 minutes.	Owner / User	None	When used	High
Cables and Wires	Check for any loose connections through visual inspection. Secure these loose connections using electrical safety gloves. In case of burnt or damaged cables, call a qualitifed technician for maintenance	Owner / User	Safety gloves	When the system has been displaced or not functioning optimally	High
Battery Box (in Solar Home Systems)	Keep the battery box and the appliances clean.	Owner / User	None	Weekly / Every 2 weeks	Medium
	Make sure that the battery box and appliances are not exposed to liquids.	Owner / User	None	Always	High
	Protect the battery box from rain and direct sunlight. Indoor use only.	Owner / User	None	Always	High
	The battery has to be replaced after several years of usage. This should be done by an authorized technician.	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit, Battery removal and installation Toolkit and replacement battery	End of life (5-7 years)	High
	Ensure that the product functions at the ideal temperature range as specified by the solar provider.	Owner / User	None	Always	Medium
	If the cables are damaged, make sure that they are repaired or replaced. Use the manufacturer provided cables, or call a company assigned service technician.	Owner / User, or Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	When damaged	Medium
	Do not use loads and appliances that are not designed or certified for the system (except for the USB port)	Owner / User	None	Always	High
	Do not charge the batteries with panels which are not compatible (for example, from a different provider / manufacturer). In case it is compatible with other solar panel brands, these would be specified in the user manual provided with the solar system.	Owner / User	None	Always	High
Other Components like fan, televisinon, radio, refrigerator etc. offered with the Solar Home System	Follow Instructions from manufacturer of respective componentor call service technician.	Owner / User or Skilled technician, as applicable	None	-	-
Solar Street Lights, including following variations: Capacities: 10W to 20W range - Basic design, only powering the lamp, maybe with battery backup 25W-320 W range - Internet-of-Things (IOT) solutions such as WiFi, sensors, security camera, etc.	Clean the panels to remove dust, debris such as bird droppings or leaves and twigs from vegetation, and snow (where applicable). Usually this is not required too often, since the rain can wash away dust from the panels	Owner / User	Body safety harness (for working on heigts), cleaning cloth, wet sponge	Location dependent: Once in 3 months (dusty and dry weather) Once a year (moderate dust and rain available) After first snow (when applicable)	Medium
	Replace batteries	Skilled Technician	Battery removal and installation Toolkit, replacement battery and body harness (working on heights)	Once in 5 years	High
	If the location of the street light is close to the seaside with exposure to salt corrosion and high salt fog, make sure to check the installation bracket, and remove this with a non-abrasive brush	Owner / User	Non-abrasive brush, cleaning cloth and body harness (working on heights)	Yearly	Medium
Components/ Whole System (others)	- Contact customer support to attempt product/component replacement. - If repair not possible, request replacement - If replacement not diserable, arrange return of damaged / dysfunctional product to company. - If return to company not possible, give the system / component to electronic/chemical recycling companies in the neigborhood - If no recycling companies are available, dispose off safely as 'electronic and chemical' waste, as per local municipality / government guidelines.	Owner / User	None	Single time, if component / system becomes dysfunctional	-

System/ Component	Type of Maintenance	Tasks	Required Expertise	Required Equipment	Frequency of Action	Importance
PV Modules	Regular Inspection and preventive care	Check solar array for any immediate needs •Leaves or sticks that have been blownor fallen onto the panels. •Bird droppings or major dirt build-up •Breakages from storms or other means •Wiring	Owner / User	None	Daily	Recommended
		Check for a source of shade on the panels, such as vegetation or structures. Trim or remove any vegetation around the solar panels as well as any structures that will block sunlight	Owner / User	Prunning shears / Hand shears	Weekly	Best Practice
		Check area around solar panels for rubbish, debris, and spider webs or any other insect nesting. Remove and dispose of rubbish and debris. Carefully remove webs and nests.	Owner / User	Cleaning cloth	Weekly	Best Practice
		Wash panels: Do during early hours when it is not yet hot. Use a soft sponge and water only.	Owner / User	Non-abrasave, sponge and soap water	Weekly	Best Practice
		Check for cracks in the panel. If present, request technical support.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best Practice
		Check for exposed or loose or disconnected wiring. Check for any damage from rodents or animals. If present, request technical support.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best Practice
		Check if the panel mounting is strong and well attached. Check for cracks or any other signs of weakening. If present, request technical support.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best Practice
	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection and replacement	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Mandatory
		Check cleanliness of modules	Skilled Technician	None	Yearly	Mandatory
		Electrical measurement inspections	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Mandatory
		Thermography inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Recommended
		Checking clamps/bolts panel structure	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Mandatory
		Internal inspection of junction boxes	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Recommended
Controllers / inverters	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi-annually or Yearly	Mandatory
		Document inspection	Skilled Technician	None	Yearly	Best Practice
		Check labelling and identification	Skilled Technician	None	Yearly	Mandatory
		Check correct operation (on/off) by operator	Skilled Technician	None	Semi-annually or Yearly	Mandatory
		Check fuses and surge protections	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Mandatory
		Thermographic inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best Practice
		Sensor functional verification	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Mandatory
	Regular inspection and preventive care	Check any warning lights or alarms :Low water level in the well, Intrusion, Power outage, Pump failure, Low pressure	Owner / User	None	Daily	Best practice
		Record electrical power	Owner / User	Technician Toolkit	Weekly	Best practice
		Read pressure guage	Owner / User	Technician Toolkit	Daily	Best practice
		Read volt and ampere meters	Owner / User	Technician Toolkit	Daily	Best practice
Pump	Regular inspection and preventive care	Check and dispose of rubbish and debris in area around the pump	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Check if pump or discharge piping is leaking and request technical help to fix it	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Check pump pressure when running and request technical support if there is chnage from normal in pressure.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Pumphouse/Pump enclosure	Regular inspection and preventive care	Regular inspection and preventive care	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Lock enclosure and/or repair locking hardware	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Electrical boards and switches	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check labelling and identification	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Electrical protection (including fuses, surge and others) visual and functional tests	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Checking integrity of cables and state of terminals	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Measurement inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
		Thermography inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Recommendation
		Check cable tightening	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Monitoring operation test	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
Cables ( DC and AC)	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check labelling and identification	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check cable terminals	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Measurement inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
Control box/ Inverter	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Document inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
		Check labelling and identification	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check correct operation (on/off) by operator	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check fuses and surge	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Thermographic inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
		Sensor funcational verification	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
Generator (for energy back-up or in hybrid systems)	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		General maintenance	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check correct operation	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Replacement of filters	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	As required* E.g. for Perkins, replacement should be done 250 hours for the first operation, and then 500 hours for each operation after that.	Best practice
Pressure Lines	Regular inspection and preventive care	Bury pipes if they are found exposed	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if valves are leaking	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if pipes are leaking	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if connections are leaking	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if valves are stuck(cannot be moves), loose, or missing	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Tank	Regular inspection and preventive care	Replace the tank lid if it is missing, request technical support to fix the lid or place a purchase order for new lid	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if the tank is cracked or leaking	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request technical support if connections to the tank are leaking	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request techncial support if the tank stand (support) is damaged in any way	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Request techncial support if the tank is leaning	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Distribution line	Bury pipes if they are exposed	Replace the tank lid if it is missing, request technical support to fix the lid or place a purchase order for new lid	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Tighten the valve if found leaking or loose,remove valve and replace gasket or replace enture valve if leaking continues	Owner / User	Plumbing wrench	Weekly	Best practice
		Tighten the fitting if pipes/connections are leaking.Request technical support if leaking continues	Owner / User	Plumbing wrench	Weekly	Best practice
		Request techncial support if valves are stuck(cannot be moves), loose, or missing.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Taps and standpipes	Regular inspection and preventive care	Tighten taps if found loose.	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Tighten tap is found leaking, replace gasket or entire tap if leaking continues	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Replace taps if stuck or blocked	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Replace tap/handles if handles are missing	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
		Straighten and construct support for tap stand or secure to existing support if standpipes are leaning or falling over	Owner / User	None	Weekly	Best practice
Lights and electrical sockets	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check correct operation	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
		Check conformity to local security standards	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Best practice
Water supply system	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection of pipeline and reservoir (if any)	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check water meter correct operation	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Minimum requirement
		Check water readings are properly taken by operator	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Semi - annually or Yearly	Best practice
Bulk water meter	Regular inspection and preventive maintenance	Read power consumption, if bulk water meter is not working	Owner/user	None	Daily	Best practice
		Report functionality problems immediately	Owner/user	None	Daily	Best practice
		Request for calibration if there are doubts about the accuracy of the reading or if the meter has not been calibrated for more than five years	Owner/user	None	Daily	Best practice
Lighting protection (if applicable)	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
Fences and gates	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Yearly	Minimum requirement
Vegetation	Preventive Maintenance	Vegetation cleaning	Owner/user	Cutting tools	According to local conditions	Quarterly,Semi-annually or Yearly
Drainage system	Preventive Maintenance	General cleaning	Owner/user	Cleaning tools	According to local conditions	Quarterly,Semi-annually or Yearly
Buildings	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to local requirements
		Documentation inspection	Skilled Technician	None	Best practice	Yearly
		Check earthing	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Minimum requirement	Every 3 Years
Pv support structure	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity inspection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Minimum requirement	Yearly
		Check tightening	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Minimum requirement	Yearly
Irradiation sensors	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications and local conditions	Quarterly
		Calibration	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications and local conditions	Every 2 Years
		Monitoring operation test	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications and local conditions	Yearly
Communication board/Remote monitoring	Preventive Maintenance	Functional communication check	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	Minimum requirement	Quarterly
Intrusion detection system	Preventive Maintenance	Integrity check and cleaning	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications	Yearly
		Functional verification of intrution detection	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications	Yearly
		Functional verification of alarms/cameras	Skilled Technician	Technician Toolkit	According to manufacturer specifications	Quarterly
Stock of spare parts	Preventive Maintenance	Inventory of stock	Skilled Technician	None	Minimum requirements	Yearly
		Visual inspection of stock conditions	Skilled Technician	None	Minimum requirements	Yearly
		Stock replenishment	Skilled Technician	None	Minimum requirements	Quarterly

Warranty for Pico PV and SHS	Type of Warranty	Usual Warranty Duration	Coverage	Not Covered
Pico Solar PV Systems SunnyMoney (based on models SM100, S2, Pro2, Mobile and HP30)	Manufacturing warranty	Limited 2-year warranty	•This warranty covers manufacturing defects. If the product was purchased within the last two years and it is faulty it can be exchanged for a new product. •After the warranty period is finished and the product stops working there is no replacement. At this point the user is encouraged to open the product and attempt to repair it, if one has the relevant skills.	Any tampering of the product, which includes any attempted opening of the product or even the loosening of the screws voids the warranty
IDCOL SHS Program	Manufacturing warranty (product), performance warranty	A range of minimum warranties are required for each component including at least 20 years for PV module power output, 3 or 5 years for batteries, and 3 years for charge controllers and LED lights.
Lighting Global Program	Manufacturing warranty (product and system), performance warranty	The minimum warranty period from the time of purchase by the end-user is at least: (i) 2 years for the main system, including the PV module, control box, cables and lights and the system battery. (Batteries included within appliances are only required to meet the 1-year warranty). The battery warranty is assumed to include a capacity retention figure of at least 80% at two years, benchmarked to the rated battery capacity. (ii) 1 year for all lighting appliances that include their own batteries (including pico-power lights), all non-lighting appliances, USB charging adaptors and similar accessories.	The warranty must cover, at a minimum, manufacturing defects that impede operation under normal use and protection from early component failure
Greenlight Planet: Sun King HOME 60, HOME 120, Pico SK121	Manufacturer's warranty	All Sun King™ products are covered under a limited 2-year warranty. If there is a manufacturing defect in the lamp, battery or solar panel, the product will be fully replaced.	Manufacturing defects	•Wear and tear or abuse of the product •If the product is tampered with in any way or opened by an unauthorized repair person •Underperformance due to natural variation in sunlight
Other Component Based SHS
Battery box (technology dependent)	Product Warranty	3 years	•Guarantee that products are free from defects in material or workmanship	•Any consequential damage (caused by user) or damage that exceeds the value of the product •The warranty becomes invalid if the device is used other than intended by the manufacturer. •It does not cover failures caused by wrong installation or set up or unusual use. The warranty is also void in case of repairs by any unauthorized or untrained person. •Do not open the products; this will result in a loss of the warranty.
Remote control within PAYG systems (ability to operate the product by making small payments, using a SIM card or key-code system)	Product Warranty	1 year	-
Solar Street Lights, including following variations: Capacities: 10W to 20W range - Basic design, only powering the lamp, maybe with battery backup 25W-320 W range - Internet-of-Things (IOT) solutions such as WiFi, sensors, security camera, etc	System Warranty	2 years (sometimes 1 year)	•If incorporated at the planning stage of any project, costs of wiring, hardware, fittings, trenching etc are eliminated as well as their associated maintenance costs	-
Fans, televisino, radio, refrigerators, etc.	Depends on component manufacturer and provider	-	-	•Appliances, like radio, TV or fans are not included (respective manufacturer's warranty applicable, if available). The solar provider does not ensure this.
Freecold Refrigerators	Product warranty	1 year	•spare parts and labor included	-
UNICEF solar direct drive refrigerators and freezers	Supplier Warranty	2 years	Long Term Agreements (LTAs) are signed between UNICEF SD and suppliers, while stipulating the warranty conditions for Cold Chain products. During the warranty period, the supplier must repair goods whenever defects related to faulty equipment appear after delivery. The following is covered: •The Goods shall be new, factory packed and conform to the LTA requirements and specifications; •The Goods are free from defects in workmanship and materials; •The Goods are contained or packaged in a manner adequate to protect them; and •It has the personnel, experience, qualifications, facilities, financial resources and all other skills and resources to perform its obligations under the LTA	-
NIWA Solar's 24" Solar TV and 32" Solar TV, Computer work station, radio		1 year	-	-

Warranty for Pico Solar Water Pumps	Type of Warranty	Usual Warranty Duration	Coverage	Not Covered
Modules	Component warranty	10-year product warranty and 25 years power output guarantee based on light-induced degradation	•This warranty coveres against defective components or workmanship. •Unless specifically mentioned in the warranty that these are covered onsite, then the products can be exchannew ones and the labour and costs of transport are excluded, that is, the equipment must be returned by the client to thesupplier/contractor for diagnosis of the problem. •If installer needs to visit the site for diagnosis, the cost of the visit is charged to the client.	Repair/replacement of components damaged due to negligence or fault of the client , theft, or vandalism.
Controller/inverters	Component warranty	2-5 years	•This warranty coveres against defective components or workmanship.	•Warranty void if third-party pumps used and if failure was found due to fault of installler where all costs are borne by the installer. •Warranty also does not cover damage due to : mishandling or abuse; failure to protext from weather exposure; failure to proetct from overheating due to sun exposure; failure to seal out insects, spider or rodents; lightning; flood or other acts of nature
Pump and motor	Component warranty	2–5 years	•This warranty coveres against defective components or workmanship.	•Pump rotor/ Stator/Impeller/Pump are considered to be normally wearing parts, and are not covered under warranty. •Warranty doess not cover damage due to sand or abrasive silt in the water, mishandling or other abusive conditions, lighting or other acts of nature.
All other balance of system components	Component warranty	1–2 years	•This warranty coveres against defective components or workmanship.
System	Quality of installation and workmanship warranty	Typically within the first 6 months to 1 year	•This warranty commits the installer to provide backup support onsite, if the system develops a problem after installation. •Any Item which fails or are not installed to standard are corected and resolved onsite at cost to the supplier. •This warranty also covers issues arising from poor quality of instllation , which are dealt with onsite at a cost to the supplier and this also covers corrosion of material used onsite like support structures. •Warranty covers only failures that are cuased by contractor fault, workmanship, or quality issues.	Repair/replacement of components damaged due to negligence or fault of the client , theft, or vandalism.
	System performance warranty	Several Years	•This warranty commits the supplier to ensure future system performance tests, when corrected back to design conditions will exceed the design performance.	Rarely encountered in humanitarian contexts

Technology	Malfunction	Possible Cause	Check	Possible Remedy	Responsible	Equipment
Solar Pumps	The pump does not start/run	Power supply to the pump has been cut off by the tank-full switch or dry-run protection	If the tank-full light is red	Tank is full – pump will come on with water use	Owner / User	None
			If the source-low light is red	Pump will come on when source recharges	Owner / User	None
		No or low power coming from the PV generator	If the solar modules are clean	Clean the modules	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
			For failed connections	Rectify insecure/unsealed wires, loose cable connections, failed cable joints	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
			If wiring (series/ parallel) is correct	Correct wrong wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		No or low power reaching the controller	If accessories are correctly wired	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
			For failed connections	Rectify insecure/unsealed wires, loose cable connections, failed cable joints	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
	The pump light comes ON and OFF	Solar power is not strong enough for the pump to run	If the panels are clean	Clean the modules	Owner / User	cleaning cloth, non-abrasive sponge
			If there is a passing shadow	This does not indicate a problem. The pump should restart after normal delay	-	None
			If the weather is overcast	Wait for the weather to improve	-	None
	Pump ON light shows red instead of green due to system overload	Excessive pressure	If there is a restriction in the pipe such as a blocked pipe, closed valve	Remove restriction, open valve	Skilled Technician	None
		Insufficient motor cooling	For high running current	Confirm pump position and match with installation / design guidelines	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Blocked motor or pump	For high running current	Switch off the pump and call the system service provider/technician to rectify	Owner / User, followed by Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
	Pump attempts to start at intervals (will start to turn or just vibrate a little)	Insufficient power reaching the controller	If accessories are correctly wired	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
			For failed connections	Rectify insecure/unsealed wires, loose cable connections, failed cable joints	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Pump is running in reverse direction	If phases are correctly connected	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Motor is not getting power on all three phases	For loose connections	Tighten connections	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Pump or pipe is blocked	If pipes or pump are packed with mud, sand, debris	Clean pump and pipes	Owner / User	Cleaning brush, cloth, and disposal bags for dirt removed
	Pump runs but no water delivery	Surface valves are shut	If any valves are closed	Open all valves	Owner / User	None
		Broken downpipe	Pipes by listening near borehole	Pull out the pump and replace worn out pipes	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Insufficient irradiation to deliver water	If irradiation threshold is enough for water delivery	Wait for the weather to improve	-	None
		Pump running in reverse direction	If phases are correctly connected	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Non-return valve is stuck in closed position	Non-return valve	Clean or replace the valve	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Suction strainer is blocked	If the strainer is clogged due to debris / mud	Pull out the pump and clean the strainer	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Pump/motor coupling broken	For low running current	Switch off the pump and call the system service provider/technician	Owner / User	None
	Pump runs but there is lower water delivery than expected	Leaking downpipe or delivery pipe	Pipes by listening near borehole for leakages in surface pipes	Replace worn-out pipes and fittings	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Source water level too low	If flow is intermittent and if motor current is low	Wait for source to recharge	-	None
		Pump or pipe chocked with silt/mud, valves partially closed	If water output is discoloured and silt laden	Unclog the pipes, pull out pump and unclog if necessary	Owner / User	Cleaning brush, cloth, and disposal bags for dirt removed
			If any valves are closed	Open valves	Owner / User	None
		Vales in the discharge pipe are partly closed/blocked	If any valves are blocked due to debris / mud	Clean or replace the valves	Owner / User	cleaning cloth, non-abrasive brushes
		Pump running in reverse direction	If phases are correctly connected	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Insufficient power reaching the controller	If DC accessories are correctly wired	Rectify wiring	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
			For failed connections	Rectify insecure/unsealed wires, loose cable connections, failed cable joints	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
		Pump internal parts worn out	-	Call service centre for repair or replacement	Owner / User	None
	Pump starts and stops at frequent intervals	Water level sensors or level switches in the reservoir are installed incorrectly	If sensor and switch intervals are too close	Adjust sensor/switch intervals	Skilled Technician	(see Technician Toolkit, under 'Protocols')
Pico Solar	Mechanical failure of components	Manufacturing defect or poor handling	Visual Durability Examination	Replace damaged components	Skilled Technician	None
	Light does not turn on	Switch is turned off	Check the on/off switch	Turn on the switch. If you are not sure of the switch position, put the panel under the sun and check the light after 20 minutes.	Owner / User	None
		Battery is not fully charged	Turn the switch on, when not placed in the sun. If there is no illumination / power in the USB port or attached product, the battery is not charged.	Fully charge the system by placing in the system for 6-8 hours in directly sunlight	Owner / User	None
		Exposed to weather/rain	Device Weather Protection	Secured placement of device	Owner / User	Usually portable, maybe a screwdriver for mechanically secured systems
		Accumulation of dust inside the light or switch mounted on the PCB	Open device and inspect internal components*	Clean without damaging components	Owner / User	Correct screwdriver, dry brush or mini blower
		Burnt Cables or components		Repair or replace damaged components, such as the Battery, panel, LED or switch (see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		Disconnected / unsoldered cables on main panel and PCB		Connect / re-solder the cables as necessary
		Battery is faulty / Quick Battery Failure, due to lack of deep discharge protection	Battery Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		Switch is faulty	Switch Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		Panel is faulty	Panel Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		LED light s faulty	LED Light Continuity Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
	Inconsistent Light Output	•Low Quality LEDs •Reduction in luminous efficacy over continuous usage	LED Light Continuity Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
	Main switch not working	Switch is faulty	Switch testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
	Device is not charging	Damaged cabling	Observation of Internal components	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		Panel failure or damage	Panel Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
		Battery failure or damage	Battery Testing	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')	Skilled Technician	(see procedure table, under 'Protocols')
	Damaged External Wires and Connections	Cable between lantern and solar module is Short	Visual Inspection for wire bruising	Replace damaged wires/ secure cabling	Owner / User for visual inspection and securing existing cable ONLY; Skilled technician for repair or replacement of cables	Safety gloves, replacement cables / wires
	USB Charging port not working	Dust accumulation or Foreign material	Examine the charging jack/Rubber cover	Clean the USB jack without damaging components	Owner / User	Dry brush or mini blower
		Broken /loose interior charging pin	Examine the charging jack	Replace Charging Jack	Skilled Technician	Replacemnt port/shell, Soldering iron, solder, soldering wick Safety: Use goggles and gloves for soldering requirements and to protect against battery leakages
Component Based	Components (radio,TV) damaged	Charge regulator not protected against inversion	Device specification	Replace charge regulator	Skilled Technician	Replacement components
	Radio and TVs not running smootly	Interference from other loads	Charge controller damage/expiration	Replace charge regulator	Skilled Technician	Replacement components
		Loose contact wires	Open device and inspect	Solder and secure wires	Skilled Technician	Soldering iron, solder, soldering wick, multimeter
	Components showing low voltage problems	Panels are shaded leading to low production	Check if panel is covered or has dust accumulation	Clean panels	Owner/User	Dry brush or mini blower
		Panels are damaged	Checked voltage between panels terminals and compare with manufacturer values	Replace panel if damaged	Skilled Technician	Multimeter
Batteries	•There are two basic types of batteries that are available for use in a standard solar energy production system: sealed batteries (AGM or Gel cell) and flooded lead acid (FLA) batteries. •Sealed batteries require only little maintenance in order to keep them working properly, the FLA batteries have a longer lifespan. •In off-grid conditions, usually sealed lead acid battery, lithium ion, vented battery, NiCd, and gel battery technologies find application.
	The batteries are generally attached to a digitised warning / fault detection system, which is integrated with the main device. A 'warning' or 'fault' signal along with the error code is usually activitated during a malfunction	Disconnection of battery cables	Check if battery cable is connected firmly (use gloves to do this, in order to protect against chemical damanges).	If connections are loose, wear protective gloves and use a wrench to tighten the connections	Owner / User	Protective gloves, wrench for tightening the connections
	The warning signal remains, after checking connections in the batteries	Several causes which may or may not be related to the battery may occur, since is over- and under- voltage or over-current due to connected equipment.	Do not disassemble the battery and diagnose	Call Skilled Technician	Owner / User should call skilled technician	As per manufacturer's guidelines
			Check the batteries temperature and voltage	Follow manufacturer's guidelines	Skilled technician	As per manufacturer's guidelines
			Check if the overvoltage and deep discharge protection works correctly by toggling the on/off switch	Follow manufacturer's guidelines	Skilled technician	As per manufacturer's guidelines
			Visual check of other system components	Follow manufacturer's guidelines	Skilled technician	As per manufacturer's guidelines

Procedure	Check	Possible Remedy	Responsible	Equipment
Observation of Internal Components	Observe how the components are laid out and connected. This will facilitate identification of damaged components. It will also enable the reassembly process.	Test and repair / replace respective components	Skilled Technician	Appropriate screwdrivers, eg. starhead / flathead for disassembly and assembly Safety: Use goggles and gloves for soldering requirements and to protect against battery leakages
Panel Testing	•Ensure that the panel cables are firmly soldered on both the panel and the PCB. •Test panel using multimeter	•If not connected, then resolder them •If the reading is out of range, not reflecting power, conduct battery testing and switch testing	Skilled Technician	Multimeter, battery and switch testing equipment For soldering: •Replacment switch push button •Soldering iron •Solder •Soldering wick or desoldering iron Safety: Use goggles and gloves for soldering requirements and to protect against battery leakages
Switch testing	Inspect the switch to check if it is firmly soldered onto the PCB (remains static and unmoving). Look for evidence of dust accumulation or any other foreign material.	Remove any dust of other foreign material	Skilled Technician	Clean, dry brush or mini blower
	Press the switch and listen for a clip sound. If there is no sound, the switch may be damaged.	Replace Switch and Switch Rubber Cover, as may be required	Skilled Technician	•Replacment switch push button •Soldering iron •Solder •Soldering wick or desoldering iron •Multimeter For replacing Switch Rubber cover •Appropriate screwdriver •Silicon button cover Safety: Use goggles and gloves for soldering requirements and to protect against battery leakages
	Set the multimeter on the continuity range, and place the multimeter probes on each of the two switch terminals while pressing the switch. If the multimeter gives a sound when pressed, then the switch is ok. If there is no sound, then the switch may be damaged.
LED Light Continuity Testing	•Check for desoldered cables •Set range on multimeter to conduct continuity test and note the readings	•If desoldered cables are present, solder using the right tools. •If the multimeter gives a sound, then the LED lights are in good working order, if it not, then the LED lights are damaged and must be replaced.	Skilled Technician	•Digital Multimeter •Soldering iron •Soldering wire

Technician Toolkit	Function
Infrared camera	Conduct thermographic imaging, by finding high temperature hot spots in solar panels and electrical boards
Screwdrivers and drill bits	Used for securing mechanical connections
Electrical tools including soldering, wiring and securing tools	Repair and replacemnt of electrical cables and accessories, and securing loose componets inside the device
Multimeter (OR separate devices, i.e. ammeter, voltmeter)	Measuring current and voltage in electrical connections.
Safety equipments, including goggles, gloves, body harness	Safety goggles and gloves are to be used for soldering requirements and to protect against battery leakages. A body harness should be used for security while working on heights
Non-abrasive brushe/sponge and cloth pieces	For cleaning solar panels
Adjustable Wrench/Shifting Spanner Accessories: Hex shaped nuts fastenings and tightening compression fittings with hex edges	Used for securing mechanical connections
Pipe Wrench	Used to tighten and loosen threaded pipes and fittings
Working Shovel	To dig into the ground to expose pipes and fittings
Digging Spade	To dig into the ground to expose pipes and fittings
Thread seal tape	Sealing off leaks between fittings and pipe threads
Bucket	Removing a pool of water from a leaking pipe pit
Wire Brush	Cleaning threads of pipes off any corrosion
Propane torch	Sweating (soldering) copper pipes and fittings for a new joint or for repairs
Metal file	Removes burrs and smoothens edges on pipes
Hacksaw	To cut through metal, polyvinyl pipe, screws and related fittings

Examples of Certification/ Upskilling Programmes	Country/ Certification Organisation	Source
License for Solar PV Technician: ST1 to ST4, depending upon the level of experience and qualification, validated by experiences such as: •Electrical Government Trade Test, •Basic solar PV training (from any accredited institution) •Bachelor of Science or National Diploma in Electrical, Electronics •Relevant experience with solar PV systems	Energy (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) Regulations, Government of Kenya, 2019	https://www.epra.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Draft-EnergySolar-Photovoltaic-Regulations_2019.pdf
Device Repair Technician: •Experience with electronics, repairs and testing is an advantage. •Experience and attitude to work is valued above academic qualifications. •Team leadership qualities. •Electrical engineering/repairs. •6 months work experience (ideally in a related field)	M-Kopa (job posting for Uganda, 2020)	https://everjobs.ug/job/device-repair-technician/
Training for assembly technician of solar systems	ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)	http://www.ecreee.org/page/training-assembly-technician-solar-systems
Regional Certification Scheme for Sustainable Energy Skills	ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)	http://www.ecreee.org/certification
Solar Technician Education: Diploma in electrical or electronics engineering, experience with installation of solar systems Experience: •Technical training in solar power installation and installation of solar water pumping systems •Experience in solar pumping system design. •Experience in training development and delivery for community driven programs •Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.	NGO Jobs in Africa (job posting for Somalia, 2019)	https://ngojobsinafrica.com/job/solar-technician/